Its a new day, its a new plan... Here I am.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6xr6VKg7sE
The sun is rising above Kaohsiung city. Its dawn, fog lies over the sea. The harbor is waking up.
Surreally beautiful sight from the 52th floor.
My application is finished.
The decision was made really, really fast. I became used to changing my life in a whim... But where is it leading this time? And how to make the most out of it?
I have decided on what I want to do... But have I decided on what kind of person I want to become?
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,,Ok, Ok, I'm coming in a minute, but does the restaurant have wifi?"
,,Are you kidding?! You dont want to have your laptop open on your brother's 18th birthday?!"
,,I'm sooooooorryy... The answer can come any time!"
And in the end the phone rings, and Hugo jokes about how well I can play pingpong. My uncle buys me whiskey, which I consume in one shot.
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It's easier to leave than to be left behind
Leaving was never my proud
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCvnGxfBfiw
Rotterdam. Sitting in the dark living room of our apartment, everyone else is asleep. A short break before the next week starts.
Feels very much... inbetween. Did I leave too quickly? Did I give myself the time I needed? Did I say my goodbyes properly?
I dont feel I processed well enough the last few months gone by in a frenzy, but now I am already here.
What is behind is long, heavy, valuable, and what is ahead is also grandiose. It is now a short time to observe, to learn, and to be a beginner - which is not easy to do after years of being an expert. Visibly there are also a few things to unlearn, and there are things I constantly have to remind myself of.
It is now a time of training and peace, but very soon, a lot will be expected from us. Still figuring out how to live up to it best.
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We are young, we are strong. We're not looking for where we belong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm9d5wAXW5c
Total darkness. The moon is the only light, thick forest from both sides.
Prashant's playlist is faintly audible somewhere in the front.
Running on a belgian countryside road at 1 AM.
I can't believe I am here.
Still, now I much more feel this is my place to be. The transition in the end did empower me to take ownership of my role and my place in the team, and things are falling into place even more during the AI planning week.
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Sitting at the Eindhoven airport - already since 8 hours, beause the highly skilled airport staff managed to crash the passanger staircase into the plane.
Anyhow, after a smashing transition party and our first steps as fresh AI, I am visiting countries for the first time - going to CEC! A time to remind myself how not to lose connection with the ground after spending so much time in the office.
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The Himalaya's Dhauladhar range is just below my feet. 4-5 OOO m high mountains in the distance, bright sunshine, clear air, and apart from the sound of a waterfall from somewhere below, still silence.
HUhhhhhhhhh... very, very deep breath in.... and out.
Its done!
We finished delivering IC. I took so many responsibilities I can't even list, and yeah, I did feel like failing a bit here or there, but in the end, I'm content with what I delivered. And then I even conquered the Himalayas.
Sometimes I'm afraid I can't even realize how special it is what I'm going through.
Will I remember these moments the way I should? How can I carve the most important things deep into my memory?
Anyway, lets just stop now, look at the mountains and remind myself to be present in this particular moment, here.
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'Cause we gon' rock this club, We gon' go all night,
We gon' light it up, Like it's dynamite!
'Cause I told you once, Now I told you twice
We gon' light it up, Like it's dynamite!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUjdiDeJ0xg
On the road!
Flights, trains, airports, countries, people mixing in my head, the excitement of the first visits, understanding how different each country is, how many ways are there for me to make an impact and to help, how to connect with so many people...
The kind of intellectual challenge that I really value.
Singstar with MC Spain, discussions into the night with MC members in Romania, Q1 replanning in Czech Republic, rebooking cancelled tickets, trying to find airport in the dark in Madrid, sleeping on trains...
I love my job.
And it has just started.
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The hero's journey continues.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y9yfMW1y4o
Three years have gone since I stepped on the journey that took me to where I am now.
Three years have gone, and the circle closes.
EuroCo closing plenary, tears shining in some eyes, even in my own.
How many journeys will start from here?
And as for my journey... I finally repaid some old debts to myself .
I should be leaving with an easy heart.
But today, it's still okay to be sentimetal.
Tomorrow, I will be back on the road, and the day after, I will be fine.
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Ülünk a téren, gitár a kézben, dalunk az égen száll
(Sitting in a park, guitar in hand, our song is reaching the sky)
A személyiségünk varázsa nékünk megélhetést kinál
(We are making a living out of the magic of our personality)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4liv_mAaak
Back on the road.
So how does it work?
Whats the secret?
I am not sure myself why exactly, but so far I somehow managed to connect and evoke trust really fast in different countries, different people, different cultural settings.
By the time I leave, nearly in every country I am percieved as a trusted friend who is trying to help.
How does it work? How do I work?
Of course the visits aren't prefect and there is always a lot to develop, but seems like I have some natural talent, some traits in my personality that make people trust me and connect to me.
So far its a subconscious ,,learning by doing" thing, I still need to decode it, but one of the main learnings from this semester definitely is about how to influence diverse people positively in very short time.
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Have you heard the news today?
I'm leaving town, I'm cashing out
This town's too small for me to stay
The time is now, I'm heading out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-9I9vTGSWA&feature=related
As the plane takes off, I gaze out the window.
The city is wrapped in a thick layer of fog. The mountains surrounding us only allow a few rays of the setting sun to pass through, which creates an orange-red, nostalgic atmosphere.
This is the last flight - finally returning home, to Rotterdam.
The words ,,leaving" and ,,arriving" are key for this semester. Not just in the physical sense, but intellectually and emotionally. Building, cutting, and re-building bonds with still keeping the sincerity of my attention has not been an easy thing.
For me, it may be the 12th country visit, but for them, it's the only time they can share with someone and ask for help. Radiating enough energy to provide emotional support can't be done without getting at least a bit emotionally involved myself.
And for me, who used to be very careful and slow in attaching to anything, and very rush and careless when leaving things, working out a balance has been and still is a challenge.
Understanding more about the balance of leaving and arriving is something I need for my whole life.
I'm learning.
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And as a final note about the story of the past 6 months...
We were never being boring
Cuz we were never being bored
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXqjlpARblM&feature=related
And alltogether...
Pretty Good Year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpLCFph9iv4
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