In the end it’s all about people

Notes from 17.03.2011

One more time I could get a confirmation for the fact that international conferences change your mindset for whole life.

I just came back from international congress in United Kingdom – WENA LDS, and from my trip in London for 3 days. To say that it was fantastic is to say nothing. It was something much bigger.

It all started very spontaneously (and was like that till the end of the trip). In the last few hours before DDL I decided to apply as faci and agenda manager for this conference. Don’t know what was guiding me at that moment- probably destiny. My visa was ready on 7th of March afternoon. Pre-meeting was supposed to start on 8th morning. I almost gave up when I received a message from embassy that I can collect my passport.

Again spontaneous moment. Tickets for the morning, long way to the venue – and I am there. I was super happy. And this mood was lasting throughout the whole conference.
Highlights of WENA LDS:

- Faci team. We were 7 facis for 230 delegates (3 more supposed to come but they didn’t). It was a very hard experience especially with the fact that agenda was changed 1 day before conference, and in each home group were 30 delegates. And probably exactly because of that we rapidly started to form as a team. Every single person in our team was unique and I don’t know how Marina was doing selection but she did it the very right way – the way when everyone could feel we are not just a group of people but a team. I had again a special feeling of spontaneousity – I was going to the conference to work for 6 days with people who I barely know or don’t know at all, and I was very afraid to meet at least one person with a negative attitude or a bitchy character – none of us was like that. Another point is that I was very curious about these people and all my expectations were exceeded. Just simply love them.

- Chair. Vlad was chairing my 1st international conference 2 years ago in Turkey, but I have never worked with him before so closely [SMASH]. For sure he is a great chair and was very cool at plenaries and so on. But what was more valuable is our bonding. Vlad became a person at this conference who you can always rely on, hug him when you need a kinesthetic charge, or just smile – because there will always be response from his side. Loved the smile of this guy.

- Delegates. They were so energetic, so open for everything – I seldom can see such an audience at AIESEC conference. At first morning plenary before starting when the roll calls were playing – EVERY person was dancing. Can you imagine 200 people dancing same roll call in the plenary? That was very moving.

- Home group. It was my first experience of work with the home groups. I can’t analyze how good or bad it was but their sugar cubes after the conference made me cry. And we had an amazing shout: Oooooooh! Red and ready, read and ready, read and ready; everything we do – we do it RED! (Girls): RED! (Boys):RED! (Girls): RED! (Boys):RED! (Girls): RED! (Boys):RED! (Girls): RED! (Boys):RED!
Another important part of the HG was Vivi – a CC responsible for REDs. Without this girl I can’t even imagine how would it be. Probably not that funny and entertaining. She studies drama theater in uni, and her energizers were oh my god how amazing.

- Conference itself. We had a joke between faci team that PAI 2015 will tell this conference was a turning point for him. I bet it will come true. So much effort and energy into this event can only grow up best leaders for AIESEC and society. I was not crying in the end. But I had a constant feeling all the day that I am loosing something very big and important in my life, and some people I might will not see anymore. I have a lot of learnings from WENA LDS 2011. I got so much inspired to go international next year. I grew professionally and personally. I hope it was a very important part of lifes of the people who were there. For me it was and will be.

Highlights of my London trip

- Being spontaneous. I forgot to mention in the beginning that I bought tickets for 3 days later after the conference in order to have a chance to see London – one of my dream cities. And it was spontaneous again. I didn’t know where I am gonna live, who I am going to do sightseeing with (I definitely didn’t want to do it alone). At one of the last parties I randomly told about it to Steve Sparrow and he proposed to stay at his place [SMASH] with part of the new MC team. Of course I agreed =) At the same party I managed to convince my good old friend Matt Pitt to come to London to show me the city. This is what power of my networking and sometimes bla-bla skills can do.

- Positive attitude. Your trip will never be fantastic if you’re just spontaneous – you need to have a very nice mood and attitude towards all the things. It helps so much! I couldn’t wait to get to London after the conference, expecting something absolutely amazing. And it was amazing in the end.

DAY1. Arrival and dinner. I arrived to London in the afternoon so decided not to build plans for that day and have some rest. In the evening me and two MC 11-12 boys Nakul and Daniel went to buy food for dinner and that was such a nice time! Shopping was fun, we made the most delicious pasta with chili in the world (Dan was chairing the process) and had a family evening with this yummy pasta and red wine. I definitely loved the 1st day.

DAY2. This one was the best. Matt arrived to London and we were doing sightseeing all the day. Crazy pictures, study tour delegates and CCs met next to London eye (who said London is big?), gelato, squirrels in the park, posh Oxford street – these things worth to be done in London!
Afterwards was the second best thing of the day – Traffic Light Party. It was organized by LC AIESEC City (in London) where Dan was an LCP in one of the London clubs. The idea is that you have to wear only one of 3 colours: RED (if you have a boy/girlfriend), GREEN (if you are free), or YELLOW (if it’ complicated). I was wearing red by the way.
We came first and left last. And were drinking all this time =). Boat racing, crazy pictures, dancing and loooots of fun! One of the best parties ever. In the morning the funniest was to check the receipts from the party in order to remember things we were doing – 10 tequilas ? Who remembers that? =) After this party I fell so much in love with new MC team of AIESEC UK! Just with each of these 5 crazies. There is an expression that if you touch a person you leave your footprint in his life. I feel the same with them – like as we left footprints in each others lives. Really want to meet them again. So happy for AIESEC UK in the next year – with such a team it will be success!

DAY3. I went to do shopping in the mall everyone was recommending me last party – Westfield. Yay, it was a huge one! There is nothing special in shopping indeed but I got so many new clothes.