La vita e bella

I've been in Italy for 8 days now. For all the right reasons, it feels much longer. I love everything about this place, from the obvious (great coffee, delicious food, beautiful men...) to the unexpected (hospitality, humour). And beyond that, i'm really enjoying the working culture, which is a happily somewhere in the middle of Swiss military and Thai 'mai ben rai'. So we're 15minutes late, chill, we can change the agenda. Just don't expect me to work over lunch or dinner!

Last weekend was just what the doctor ordered - 48hrs of shopping and gossiping with Aine How can i ever forget the bohemian decadence of 'Alta Moda' (even with my limited understanding of Italian, the delicious irony of the name is not lost...)

Professionally, i feel again that my work is really adding value. I see the cogs turning when i ask the right question, i feel the glow of satisfaction when an idea conceived by another is well-received and taken forward. Observing, questioning, analysing, synthesising, creating, testing, evaluating. And the cycle goes on.

Personally i feel so connected with the team here. I've been working, eating, sleeping and relaxing in the same house for 5 days, but not once has it felt claustrophobic. These people just enjoy spending time together, and the feeling is contagious.

Sometimes i need to pinch myself to remember that these experiences are really happening, and that the last 18months of my life weren't some hypnotic dream. Reading this brought back so many memories. And you know the absurd thing is, i frequently forget that 13 months ago i lived through a military coup! There were tanks driving on my street, there was a state of emergency declared and then overruled, all national & international tv & radio was censored. How is it possible to forget this?!

So now i'm making a conscious effort to enjoy every second. This morning i travelled with Matteo (President of AIESEC in Italy) to the edge of the Alps, near to the border with France. It's stunningly beautiful - bright blue skies, snow-capped peaks, trees dressed in green, brown and every imaginable shade in between. I used to say i don't like European winters. I guess this highlights the danger of generalising for an entire continent! I've just eaten a delicious lunch with Matteo's family. Home-made pizza, aubergine grilled with parmesan, home-baked chocolate cake. And Matteo feels bad because their English is 'not so good'. I try to imagine my family talking with him in Italian over a roast dinner :)

On Wednesday i'll fly back to Rotterdam to re-connect with my team (well, 2/3 of it...) for 36hrs. And then i'm off to Toronto (via Frankfurt of course - if i spend any more time before Xmas in the Departure Lounge there i'll be arrested for squatting!) First time in North America, potential reunion with a family member whom i last saw i don't know how many years ago. And after that i'll be back in Europe to visit Athens, another city i've dreamed of since being a kid (and i'll actually get to see some of it, unlike Istanbul!!!)

To my friends who are facing oppression, uncertainty and frustration - in Pakistan and in Venezuela - remember that you are living through history.

I know that life often isn't easy. I think that's one of the things that makes it so 'bella'...