S.

29 August - 3 September: the dates of so eagerly expected meeting with my friends: MC team of RuBeK 2003-3004. Masha came from Amsterdam, Dasha from Ekaterinburg, me from Belarus, and Marek hosted us at his place in Warsaw.

We haven't met since our farewell in Moscow 2 years ago, and we used the occasion of IC in Poland and my coming there for AI handover anyways to get all together.
There were internships, continued careers in AIESEC, working experiences, entrepreneurship in between, and was so good to reconnect again with people who were once the closest, from our family flat in Mitino in Moscow! And who became dear friends - these 3 guys… Well, a guy and 2 girls :)


It's so interesting - even when we don't talk for half a year - when we talk, it's like we saw each other yesterday. They say if you live through some strong experiences with people, you become connected for ever. Well, our year in MC was an interesting year, we shared almost everything, even a bed (or floor when we didn't have a bed) :)))

We are still those same people, with those same relationships and jokes, conversations on once forgotten topics, but enhanced with richer experiences we had over last couple of years. At least I hope we have grown up a little, however not that I saw much difference hehe :)

Oh, they were good days in Poland :)
Courtesy to Marek - he took us with comfort and by car to Cracow for a couple of days (and we even managed to see Jasny Gora, one of main Polish Catholic places).

Some pictures:






We went to Kazimerz, new emerging center of the city; kopiec Kostushko;
Main square (Rynek) with a famous Mariacky church; Wawel - kings' castle (as Cracow was Poland's capital until 16th century).

I had flash-backs: I was going around and making pictures of the same places I have walked by 5 years ago… (when I was for a bit more than a month on a CEED in Cracow)
The city is the same, but I'm different now… And then, everything differs :)


And then we spent several days in Warsaw. Finally I got the time to see the city not between my travels or conferences, but as a normal tourist. And main thing - I think Warsaw is much nicer than most Polish people describe it :)

I liked its modern views and business districts


And the sights of the old town




and us in the old town :)))



I saw Warsaw as a dynamic city, having its history but young enough to be fresh; more and more European and developed, but somehow more close to me culturally :)

(MORE photos of my Poland trip are on my flickr)

I'm so glad I had this time off; I really enjoyed the trip and meeting my friends again!
And then we said bye again, and agreed that next year we meet in Venice :)



I'm thinking now: I say good bye so easily, may be too easily now… In AIESEC we used that somewhere soon we meet again, at some conference or internship. But when you get out to the big world, there are less occasions to meet - unless you create ones.
I have realized 1) I should value more chances when I meet dear to me people, and appreciate every moment, and even farewell if it; and 2) we should work ourselves on creating those chances to meet!

Friendship is the one thing that always worth investments, and lets get our opportunities where we can!!! :)