On a (surprisingly) sunny Friday afternoon in April, I found myself on a train to Leeuwarden, with a bunch of young linguists. We occupied half of the coach, each group trying to break that awkward wall. Before this, most of us have never had a conversation longer than a lunch break. Back in PCHH, we were usually holed up in our own offices, doing the solitary work of data analysis and writing. This time, we were heading on a farm in Mantgum to do, funnily enough, the exact same thing we do in our office but in a cozy green house, hopefully, with a better view and the rustling leaves in the background. It was an all-expense paid field trip. We were joking about the weather, because why should one waste the weekend sun away by writing? We arrived just as the warm temperature started to peak, and took some time under the sun, sitting around the picnic table before finally settling in. The entire weekend was already set with a well-planned task distribution of keeping the house.

For the next two days, the collective effort to keep the weekend as productive as possible for everyone came naturally: yes, despite having a weather optimal for procrastination. As early as 9:00 a group was already working in the 'silent room' where everyone just shuts up and just work.

The individual writing - one laptop for one person, each one on different stages of their contract, writing different chapters - was indeed solitary. But there was something good about knowing that someone else was there, also writing and, just like me, also having trouble. For someone who is in their final year, the best thing about the retreat is the occasional chats where everyone just comfortably shares their shortcomings, without fear of judgment and with the anticipation that someone else will share something. We were mirroring our flaws and making sense of how to keep on until the final page. With those little conversations, we were made aware of how far we have come, what remains, and how close we are to the finish line.

We left the retreat house on Sunday evening. On the train to Amsterdam, we talked about how there should be more of this, where one finds a collective in an otherwise solitary journey. Back in PCHH, we have come up with a weekly collective session for ACLC PhDs, where we gather in a room just to write for an hour or two. For someone who had left her country just to earn a PhD, who must face the same question everyday and is always feeling behind, one finds refuge in knowing that there is a community that provides opportunities for young scholars to thrive.

Written by Liberty Notarte Balanquit