One year

Can't believe it's one year since my last post. I just opened this randomly and saw that my last post was exactly one year ago. There are so many things that happened in one year and so many things I've learned lately, some great AHA moments that managed to get me out of the bad state I had in 2010.

You can not have it all

I consider myself a very realistic person, sometimes too realistic. Maybe I should be more optimist, but I’m not, especially when all the things around me indicate some things just won’t happen the way I want.

There are things in life which I can influence, for which I know I have to work hard and by doing this I will reach my final objectives. It feels good knowing you just have to do your part and things will come out the way you want, or at least close to that way. If they won’t you’ll have at least the satisfaction that you did your best.

Unfortunately there are things in life which we can not influence. One of them is the way people think and feel. It’s ok to have people in your life that don’t see things the way you see them, in the end we are all different. The bad thing about this is when their ideas, plans or things they do influence my life. At this point I get really frustrated that no matter how much I explain they just don’t agree with I say. They have their own image about life and they don’t agree with anything else that is not in that image. I so hate these situations. I’m so tired of explaining and understanding others.

I need to get over things. In the end I can not have all the things the way I want.

Changes

At the beginning of this year I made again my wish list for 2010. I didn’t write big dreams just things that I would like to experience this year. Everything seemed ok, I was on the right track but suddenly the situation has changed. Sometimes you are forced by different circumstances to go in a totally different direction. Maybe it’s for the best, maybe for the worst. I still don’t know. The main point is that I had to reconsider what I want this year and change the list.

Now I have to find the strength and work hard to reach my objectives from that list, at least the ones that I can control.

Good or bad...it’s the end

It’s the end of 2009. I don’t have a word to define how it was. There were a lot of things that happened this year, some were good, others not the way I expected.

At the end of the last year I made a “I wish...” list. For a few months I forgot about it, but one day I found it and I was surprised to see that some of the things written there really happened; others are still wishes that maybe one day will come true (I can not influence some of them...so I’ll just have to wait and pray). Anyway I don’t want to be sad about the things that did not happen and I want to look at all the good moments and take this memories with me in the next year.

2009 was the year when:

- I graduated master and my second university (no more school for me :)

- I joined the HR Club from Mures

- I was elected G12 in Cristina’s group

- I visited Erika in Budapest (I really like this city – I never walked so much in 2 days)

- I attended 2 LPMs of AIESEC Tg.Mures

- I reconnected with some old friends and made new ones

- I bought myself a car (of course, FIESTA :)

- I got involved in some small “projects” at NG

- I was Conference Manager for RTS (one of the greatest AIESEC conferences I ever attended)

- I started CAE preparation courses

- I played paintball again (I really like it)

- I got involved in different projects at work

- ... I think there are others but right now don’t come into my mind

In a few hours a new year will start. It’s strange that for the first time in many years I don’t know what I will do. I don’t have big plans. There are things that I want but no concrete things to do. I’ll have to think and make my “Wish” list. I want to stay positive and hope that the things I want will come true.

A great experience

Three months ago I accepted a challenge, to be conference manager for RTS, the biggest regional conference for AIESEC Tg.Mures, AIESEC Cluj and AIESEC Sibiu that took place at the beginning of this month. It took me a while to decide but I’m glad I said “yes”. Beginning the work and the preparations I had a lot of frustrations regarding the conference, regarding the things we had to prepare (it was like I was again in AIESEC), but in the end it turned out to be a great experience. I really enjoyed the whole experience, I have been to many conferences and to many RTSs but I think this was the best one (maybe also because when you are an alumni you see things differently, and personally I really missed AIESEC, being there was a great feeling).

I liked the faci team – most of them I’ve meet just when I got there and the others I knew but I didn’t had the change to work with them before (with some exceptions). I think during the conference we truly were a team and we worked together, helping each other to make sure the delegates have a great experience but at the same time, we as well enjoy the conference. I missed working with people from AIESEC, who dedicate their time in preparing sessions, who put passion in what they do and who try to give their best in delivering training. I’m thankful for the great faci team because they contributed a lot to the success of this conference.

I enjoyed seeing some alumni from Cluj and Sibiu, even if I did not have much time to talk to them, is was nice seeing them there. I was a little bit upset because I was the only one from Mures, maybe next time we’ll be more.

I liked the fact the GN is working again. It is so great to see 3 LC shouting the GN shout, dancing the GN dance, working and having fun together.

I liked the energy and the atmosphere of the conference; I never saw so new members with so much energy and desire to learn. These are two things that I miss a lot (at work you don’t see such a thing). I liked the shouts, dances, roll calls, punishments (I don’t think I’ve ever been so much punished in a conferenceJ), the fun moments and all the people that were there.

In the end it was a great experience. After I left AIESEC I never thought I would have the chance to get involved again, and mostly live such a great experience. It seems once again that life is full of surprises.

Thank you AIESEC for such a great experience

My holiday

Even if my holiday was in August I decided to write a few things about it today. Why so late? I don’t know, maybe because in the last week I remembered the great time I had this summer, and maybe because autumn is here, and even if don’t like the hot weather during the summer, now I kind of miss it.

When I was in school the holiday was 3 months, and it was never enough. Now my holiday was 3 weeks. I could never imagine before I would have such a short holiday. But I did and it was nice. Beside I had some work to do I enjoyed my holiday, visiting my grandmothers, see new places and most of all waking up at 9 instead of 7 every morning (something I really miss these days).

In my short holiday I went to see Erika in Budapest. Even if I stayed only 2 days and a half it was nice. With a Bulgarian “guide” who didn’t know the city, as well, we got to see the most important places. I really enjoyed walking with the map in my hands, not knowing exactly the destination, asking for direction in English + a little bit of Hungarian + a little bit of German, getting lost, taking the wrong bus, not seeing that the big statue we were looking for was just above the hill (we were down), having the chance to spend time with Erika.

Of course, I could not miss LPM (this time Rock my LC), my favorite type of conference. With no idea how it is was going to be, with my car full of luggage and people I went to this conference as a party delegate. It’s a different feeling not having to prepare or attend sessions, not having an agenda, just wasting time and seeing the place, having fun with old friends and playing a stupid game (sorry, someone will call it the polite game). Now sleeping and not having water was not in my agenda but with it happened once again. Anyway I think it was a great conference, I had a great time, meeting all the trainees (I don’t think AIESEC Tg.M had so many trainees at once).

My holiday ended with a “team building” with the HR Club. We decided to go in a short of a camping to get to know each other better and to plan some activities. It was nice meeting new people, seeing that even if we work in different companies we have some things in common beside HR, and most of all we want to build something together.

Unfortunately every great thing finishes quickly. The most important thing is enjoy it. I enjoyed my summer holiday.

Old friends

As time passes by we change, we forget, we change our priorities and our interests. Being so busy we sometimes forget about people around us, about our friends, we get so caught into our work that we don’t have time to meet with our friends. I am trying to change this in my life. I am trying to reconnect with my friends whom I’ve missed. Since I graduated I did not have time to go out with my friend Magda, from university. After almost one year we managed to meet two weeks ago. It was so nice seeing her, we kept in contact on the internet, but it’s not the same, it was nice talking to her face to face. We realized how much we changed in the last year. I miss my colleagues from university, at least some of them, my friends. We are planning a meeting in the following weeks. Hope all of us will be able to attend.

Last week I’ve found on facebook an old friend, Jenny, the first American I’ve worked with when I was in LOC. It is like yesterday when we were going to the day-camp in town spending time with the kids, playing with them. I remember the team the two of us were having, 5 girls, all of them having behavior problems. I was difficult but nice helping those girls enjoying their summer even if it was just for one week. This was in 2002, can’t believe it was so long ago. In 2003 I’ve seen Jenny again, she came for the summer camps this time a different location, different kids, different teams but still we had a great time. We kept in contact for a while after she left but then none of wrote anymore. Now I’ve found out she has a son and she is moving with her family in Romania for a period of time to serve here and help the orphans. Can’t wait to see her again, to meet her family and reconnect. She is one of the persons that impressed me a lot when I’ve meet her, dedicated, passionate, always happy and willing to help.

I don’t want to let time destroy my friendships. I want to reconnect with my friends.