Photo by Tom Weaver

If you don’t have time or want to scrub this mail out of your Inbox as fast as possible, just move it to another place and read it another time or don’t read it at all. Well, haven’t posted here in a while. I thought I should not tell you what I’ve been seeing this weekend, or that I’ve been in Germany or seen a national park. I decided to tell you what I’m thinking in this moments instead.

How does it feel …
As you noticed, in the last 3 weeks I posted less … my CEED here is ending. Only 1,5 weeks left … I have a plane ride back on the 1st of July. It’s somewhat sad that I’m leaving this place. I had loads of good time and I’ve learned a lot in the time I’ve spent here with these amazing people. This is one of the main reasons why I’ll sign up as an SN starting with February. One other thing is that I also want to come back home, theory says that I’m entering the 2nd phase of living abroad, where I’m beginning to miss my friends, family … home. Nice giving out trainings on it, not so nice experiencing it by yourself.

It’s very funny: I want to come back, but I also want to stay. None of the feelings is stronger than the other so you’re quite in the middle. So you start counting days and feel miserably and happy in the same time with each day that passes.

Living with the AI …
Living and working with these people every day, coming in the office, having fun together, planning, seeing things happen … it’s simply awesome. Every CEED that’s here is considered from start as part of the team, everything is shared, everything gets discussed. The hierarchy is almost invisible, no one cares if you’re the PAI or a CEED. Everyone has basically the same rights and responsibilities towards the team. One other thing is that here, at the top management of the organization you can see results in a very short time. This is the most rewarding thing for the work you do. For the time you’re here you’re basically shaping the path of the organization by your work, by your decisions.

The fun part is also very real here, there are all sorts of social events you can choose to take part to like football, cricket, golf, team dinners, volleyball, swimming, movies, sightseeing, concerts, going out nights, getting together with AIESEC Rotterdam members, Poetry reading evenings, topic oriented non AIESEC debates … and more. There are 22 nationalities now in the office and a total of 39 people :D … imagine having them around every day, for 3 months. :)

I’m not counting the people I interact with (outside AI) every day. This guys, is worth everything! I wish that you get this feeling someday, to go trough what I’ve been, to feel what I felt in these 3 months, these 90 days, these 2.160 hours, these 129.600, minutes, these 7.776.000 seconds … every one of them.

A piece of advise

• Don’t be afraid of the unknown, embrace it
• Don’t wait for the perfect opportunity, there is no such thing
• Don’t worry so much, you’ll soon end up smoking 4 packs of cigarettes a day
• Don’t think about how hard or complicated thinks will be, they’re actually easier and more uncomplicated as you think
• Don’t lie yourself that there will come another time for it, there will probably be none
• Don’t expect someone else to push it towards it, few actually do it, few actually really care.

Go for it, jump in the river of opportunities that flows out there, hold on to them, make them real, for you. This is a time that will probably not come again in your life (unless you’re very lucky), this is the time you can experience anything and everything, the time you are most alive. If you let this time pass, you’ll loose out on some of the life’s most valuable lessons, awesome experiences, knowledge, friends. Make a habit out of trying out new things, every day.

Live a little,
Zeno. :)