New year, for what it's worth...

Another year has finished… 2005 is history, welcome 2006 and all the years that are still to come. One year full of surprises and many emotions indescribable. As most people do after a year has finished, reflect back on that year and see what has happened, I’ll just give it a shot as well.

Never would I have guessed to still be in Spain at the end of 2005. Well change takes you places, and without it life would just be utterly dull and boring.

The year started off great with a 2-week vacation in Croatia!! Had an amazing reception by a friend and one aiesec member in Zagreb. Spent some amazing days in Zagreb, getting to know the city a little better after some days off walking around and catching up with my friend whom I met the year before in the summer while we both were following Spanish classes in Madrid.
Afterwards, I continued my trip in Split where I met up with some aiesecers whom I met during their national conference the month before. Again, the reception was amazingly hospitable and everything was organized up to the tour, clubbing and lunches and dinners. Got to know Split, which is an amazing city at the sea. It was lovely to smell the ocean and get a taste of the Mediterranean culture. The people definitely made that stay unforgettable, and after an emotional goodbye party I went back to Zagreb to catch my plane.

I couldn’t have started the year better, that trip changed something in my perception of people and gave me some better ideas what I wanted to do after my term would end as a LC member.

Back home it was finishing up the final things before leaving. Yeah, after 3,5 years studying in Maastricht it was time to head for another place. Finishing the final formalities, transition with the new aiesec members and the final goodbyes. Thank you Moni for making it an unforgettable goodbye, your speech, your conversations and your present will always be part of me, and have been the start of an amazing journey. Without you I would have never ended up where I am now, THANKS you mean the world to me!!

February 14, 2005, the day I left for Madrid, Spain. Erasmus was my destination, can tell many things about it but most of it is kind of reinforcing existing stereotypes about the Erasmus students and breaking others. Yes it is a lot of partying but as well a lot of studying. Anyways, a part from a little bit of traveling, my semester in Madrid was not that exciting.

More exciting has been the assessment for the MC of AIESEC Spain. In March we had a 4-day assessment test and afterwards I was one of the lucky ones who got elected. Really cool, it has definitely been the starting point of some amazing journeys and experiences.

So what can I say about working in Spain as a foreigner? Frustrating, mind nerving, challenging, learning, amazing, confronting, angry, happy, sad, busy, mind dazzling, change, developing, breathtaking, exploring, fantastic, unbelievable, growing, shit, endless discussions, nerving, fast, slow, crying, emotional, distance, divided, opportunities, impossible, possible, patience, and all the words I have forgotten.

Working as a foreigner in a country with locals is something so impacting that you can hardly imagine. Forget about living in a country, the real experience comes when you start working, interacting, discussing and building relations with local people! I can hardly describe how I have changed, well maybe I haven’t changed at all and I just like to see myself as being changed. Anyways, I did get to know myself better. I must have been the most stubborn, squared, self-assured, selfish person starting to work, which immediately from day one got me in endless discussions. I always though I was somebody who knew everything about cultural diversity, flexibility and adaptability, I must have been the biggest fool in the world. Came to Spain to change an entire culture, how foolish can one be... Didn’t even want to change myself!
Anyways, half a year later I’m still the same stubborn self-assured person the only difference with half a year ago is that I am aware of that. I got to know myself better than in the last 10 years. I got so many flaws and bit by bit I am working to improve them.
Definitely all the endless discussions and conversations about change, culture, impact have given me a different perspective on working abroad and cultural diversity. I probably will still have the same problems in any other country but at least I know it and to some extent know how to be flexible and adaptable (at least I hope so).

Traveling, another one of the amazing gifts that I received this year. Macedonia, India, Poland and Germany have been countries that thanks to AIESEC I visited. Three of them I never visited before, fantastic experience. Although, if you are aware of it, you see so many let’s say “negative” aspects while traveling, it definitely gives you another point of view, more food for thought. Poverty, richness, challenging worldview, people, buildings, landscape, infrastructure, politics, more people, they make it so special to be in other countries. You see, breath, feel, experience countries and it makes you critically look at your own country, it’s good sometimes to do that it makes you feel grateful, critical and challenge the standard common things in life.

People have been an interesting part of this first half a year! Met people, many people, and as always they walk in and out of your life. Luckily I met some people who left footprints in my heart as well, people I value highly. I don’t even need to see, speak or meet them regularly, but knowing how they have impacted me in a short time is enough. Those footprints are important. I don’t value people who walk in and out, I don’t mean anything to them, and they don’t mean anything to me. Random people, I had some great random conversations with some random people last few months, people who I will probably never see anymore and that doesn’t matter. The conversations will always be remembered. Looking forward meeting more people, looking forward to footprints to be more precise!!

So now it’s January 2006, a new year. Funny though that people value that so highly, why start with NYs resolutions on the 1st of January, why not start any random day with good intentions? NYE is such an overestimated day, and the worst thing is that people don’t see that. ANY day is special, ANY day is another day that we are able to do things, use the moment, experience and learn things from people. ANY day we should be using any way, being resolutions, impacting society, learning, personal development, doing things, traveling, LIVING!
Anyways, that’s just my humble opinion about NYE, it has always been a problem in my life, I can’t be tactful, I need and like to be direct. So whether you like or not, that has been my year, my opinion and me!

Catch ya some time around somewhere in this funny place that we call earth!