Lonesome
It’s been eight weeks since I boarded my last plane from Buenos Aires. All in all, the return has been smooth, and everything went as planned, as far as the organization of it all is concerned. It could not have been smoother. Friends, colleagues and strangers ask how it is to be back, and if I […] Read More
Beyond English
Some of my best friends in Santiago aren’t actually Chilean, but gringos. Americans who came to Chile to work for Beyond English, a social enterprise that teaches English in schools, but at the same time runs a number of community projects. Beyond English saw the need to democratize access to learn English in Chile and launched a pilot program in […] Read More
The men in grey
I am back at work. I usually go very casual. Some proper pants, maybe a jeans, then a shirt and some moderately colorful pullover over it. Banana Republic style. It usually works. Occasionally though I have to go in full fledged uniform. ‘Costume/cravatte’, as we say in French. The sight has become so rare that […] Read More
Processing
Three weeks ago my plane took off from Buenos Aires, and I was on my way back to Europe, back to my old life, a new apartment, old friends, a (nearly) new job… I was functioning pretty much on autopilot, without thinking too much, without even being too melancholic. Last week was my first nearly […] Read More
Baby steps
It has been a couple of days that I am back home. I haven’t found anything like stability so far, but I didn’t expect to find it so soon. Of course the first few days were spent unpacking, then I went to London for the weekend, and had one final day in Brussels before going […] Read More
Do it again?!
As this trip is coming to an end, I keep thinking of other projects. Maybe it’s something I need to focus on, to bridge the return to real life. Well, first there’s the Madonna Tour 2015, which will be announced on 2 March, and I am already freaking out…. If the dates fit well with potential […] Read More
Back to work
And, fitting to my walk into Bohemian Melbourne life yesterday, I today got the news that I’ll have a new job, as of 1st of April. I will be joining my old unit in the European Economic and Social Committee, that deals with relations with NGO’s, associations, trade unions, interest groups etc… I first did […] Read More
Real life encroaching
It feels like my real life – Brussels, work, money, apartments, pensions, insurances – is encroaching on me bit by bit, every day. I’m in touch with HR every couple of days on job possibilities, write emails to former colleagues… And today I finally received an email from the Belgian pension scheme on the transfer […] Read More
Rue de Londres
With only a bit over seven weeks left on this trip, before I’ll board flight LH511 from Buenos Aires to Frankfurt, it is high time to start thinking about practicalities of return. I’ll land in Brussels on March 23rd in the afternoon. Where do I go, where do I sleep the first few weeks….? I […] Read More
(Un)voluntary
As the idea for this trip took shape, and I was trying to figure out what to do during all the time in these different cities, I had the idea: I could volunteer in different places. Volunteering would not only mean I’d make some kind of – minimal – contribution to the country or city […] Read More