Flashback

Around this time last year, I was in the midst of the glory that is Babson College life: beer pong, frat parties, homecoming parades, Make-Your-Own-Fishtank nights, Bingo tournaments, and women's rugby games.
My Swedish friend and fellow Babson exchange student Jesper put together a video that does a pretty good job at capturing a few defining moments of that semester. Here goes.

A brave lady

If you a) read German and b) are interested in the accounts of an incredibly brave young lady who scored her first job as a womens' development coordinator in Yemen ...

Check this out.

Leni and I do not only share a first name, but also a great-grandfather (I believe), and all I can tell you is that her adventures are worth a read.

Goodbyes.

When living a life like mine, which for the most part involved moving countries, houses and schools every few years, you'd think one would get used to goodbyes. The truth is, you never do.

What changes is the fact that you can anticipate how they will feel, the phases you'll be going through, and the (old yet important) truth that time does heal wounds. What also changes is the nature of these goodbyes, the depth of your attachment to a person, an idea or a dream, and consequently the pain of having to let go of them.

I have decided that I won't let the fear of goodbyes influence the way I approach things and - most of all - people, and the degree to which I open up to them. Of course, the more open you are, the more vulnerable you become, but I'd rather pass out what I have to give with both hands and look back onto a life rich with both disappointments and breathtaking surprises. After all, the more painful it is to let go of someone, the greater it was to have had them in your life in the first place. And that I wouldn't want to miss.