When Sanna told me she was applying for a Fulbright scholarship to the US, it didn’t take me long to make up my mind; if I could arrange it somehow, I’d be going too. Four months in the US, with (almost) no mandatory program – can it get any better? I had visited the States only once before, some 30 years ago, and then I only saw part of the East coast – from Connecticut to Washington DC – so regardless of where we’d be sent, it was likely going to be a new experience.
I realized that I’d need some program of my own – so I decided to use the time off to start working on a research plan of my own. I’ve been working in university administration and R&D all of my career, but never gotten round to actually doing research. What better place to think deep thoughts than a proper American campus, limestone buildings, leafy lawns and all? And when we arrived at Indiana University in Bloomington, we found it the real thing.
On the other hand, life as a Fulbright spouse brings other tasks as well. As Sanna (rightly) expected getting quite a lot of work, I was appointed cook, driver and housekeeper of the household. I have done a fair share of cooking before, but three daily meals, planning the menu and shopping with some foresight is something that takes more time than I had expected. Well, we’re here to learn… and by the way, there’s a lot of nice restaurants and cafés in town if you don’t feel like cooking.
And we don’t study all of the time, of course. After trying to cope without a car for a month or so, we caved in and rented one for the rest of the period, which means we can have a look both at Bloomington and surroundings, and at places further on down the road. Even though there’s a quite good local transit system in town, this country is designed for having your own car. Which, of course, goes for our part of Finland as well. And Indiana is actually right in the middle of somewhere – no matter if you want to see the Great Lakes, the prairie, the Appalachian mountains or the South, they’re all within a day’s drive (or two).
We have been able to indulge in our passion for books – to the extent that we may need to rent a container for the trip home in December. For my part, I have raided the local record shops as well. For a middle-aged man with a record collection, this place is close to heaven. On the other hand, there’s more to life than shopping. Bloomington is a great place to enjoy a break from work routines – no matter if you choose to study on your own (and the university library is a real treat) or just spend your days walking round town, sitting in cafés, enjoying cultural events, this is a good place.
And of course I have met many new people. As a non-official member of the party, you can choose how much you participate in social events arranged for the exchange scholars, and nothing stops you from finding activities of your own. I’ve spent quite a lot of time with my books, but every now and then it’s nice to get out of the flat as well.
Based on my experiences so far, what can I say to you, who consider joining the ranks of Fulbright spouses? Halfway through our trip, I can boil down my message to three main points:
1) Go for it!
2) Make sure your own arrangements and finances are OK in time. The time frame for the Fulbright applicant isn’t that wide, and you need to be ready when the plane leaves.
3) Make sure that you have some project or program of your own – according to your own preferences, of course.
Kimmo
"If you can dream it, you can do it" 
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