It was all going to be so interesting and professional the start of the week-end, meeting up with all the colleagues in the digital space, applauding for some stunning work and less stunning awards, networking with all important people ... And in a way I did.
it was good to see all the people, seeing people being proud of their work and to catch up with Dare gang. But the further the night progressed there was a something changing ... This years presenters made it clear: too us it all sounds all very interesting and important, but he really took the piss out of digital and put it a bit more in perspective ...
talking to a number of people made me realize that being successful in business is not about the being a genius in your field of expertise, but the capability of being a team. The capability to communicate, talk, discuss and jointly reach higher ground ... Talking to Flo and Gavin made it clear that we reached the results not because we were genius or experts but the fact we could talk and exchange opinions in an open way , reaching the level of kindred spirits towards a common goal ..... If only some people we all know would understand this ....
... Saturday London was calling: a wake up call brought me back to living. The philosophy of the day before combined with too much alcohol made my body scream for the shock therapy of a really full blown blood Mary, a good steak and eggs and potatoes .... At least I owed it to Jo to be awake when I had to look at the pictures of a beautiful wedding .... There was in a way something strange about the talk, although it was almost 6 months I saw Jo it felt as if it was only yesterday , the contacts with all of you remains a vivid memory, or even better a continuing story .. A story that continued with Danielle In the afternoon shop walking and exchanging thoughts. It was interesting to listen to somebody who decided to leave the rat race for what it is and just take the time to find a new path without having a road laid out already ..... In a sense it became more and more clear that sometimes it does not matter if there is for a short moment nothing. It was also too nice to just chit chat all afternoon about everything that was passing through..... Only one missing was Gavin :-) .... But I forgive him I guess he needed some time to recover. But anyhow Gav: you missed a very nice walk along the Kings Cross and Chelsea shops .... The evening was topped off with a mixture of a real Italian dinner served in the lovely new nest of super Salv, an Italian Karaoke show, an analysis of the human psyche and of course the most delicious Italian wines and limoncelo .... going back to the hotel I was so much looking forward to the journey home: a 7 hour train trip since I had to go home over Paris to Brussels due to my late decision. Since the dreams about the bike I get more and more drawn towards books about Africa and the book from the Long way Round from Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman.
.... The book was calling me, but I wanted to keep it as a little secret like I did when I was a kid, keeping my candy for a quiet moment out in the yard. The journey would give me ample time to let me drift away in my dream of driving of towards a deserted place .... Putting behind the buzz of the modern city life ....tucked away in a half empty train I started reading the dream journey of two friends going the Long Way Round. I was living the same anxiety as he described to get away from it all and the almost endless routine of work/plane/hotel/bed/work/home... Getting deeper and deeper in the world of visiting deserted places, facing the hardness of nature and going deep emotionally and physically, I was no longer in the train, I was riding along them through Mongolia up to Siberia. It set my mind so free and connected so much to the discussion I had before on the fact that the business is all about people who are capable of thinking things through in a team and consistently arriving at the right shared answer .... My god I was eating the pages like somebody who had not been on bread and water for 20 years, it was setting me free in my mind at least! Just when I finished the chapters that took them from London over Ukraine, Russia, Mongolia , finally the Road of Bones close the the Bering Strait the train rolled into the station of Paris Nord ...
Paris a wake-up call:
and what a wake up call it was . Suddenly was immersed in the big city life of people running hecticley even on a Sunday, homeless left an right asking for a little change, searching the dustbin for left overs .... My god I felt suddenly sick. I ran out the station for a place to hide, but could not find anywhere to go. I looked up a corner of a little bistro and wanted to dive in the book again .... Finding back the magic ...strangely enough the book lost also at moment all the magic. The last chapters started with: " Arriving in Alaska was a complete shock. " I refused to read further. Instead I paid , got outside, put on my sunglasses, looked up a bench and just closed my eyes and trying hard to close down all the noises and sounds. And off I was again, traveling the great dessert of Mongolia, in my mind. Keeping on to the thought till I got home I started already planning my trip, because you know: one day ...
happy travels
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