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Alumni
N etwork Juan Rivera –
From Colombia to Belgrade
In summer 2009 I
started a great adventure
in the fantastic
city of Belgrade.
Without knowing how
would that be, I packed
my bags and arrived in
Belgrade the 9th of June
2009. Unknowingly, I was
the second person that arrived
among 80 students
from all around the world
and destiny had planned
me to be the last one to
leave. After three unbelievable
months of summer,
some of them started
to return to their countries
and therefore a ritual
began and we all started
to write a goodbye card to
each one of us.
February 2010, most of us have already left and I
signed each one of the goodbye cards to each one of the
fantastic people I met there but always with the sadness
that for me there won’t be a goodbye card because I
knew I was going to be the last one to leave.
And so, secretly, a big goodbye card was created; and
there was a route planned; it started in the Middle East
countries and the card was planned to move almost all
around the world, Europe, Asia, North America, Mexico
and finally South America to have as final destination
Ibague, Colombia. The card, started from Jordan on the
10th of December 2009 moving forward to Syria, Spain,
Italy, Greece, Romania, Poland, Switzerland, Germany,
Ireland and then it travelled overseas to Canada; in October
2010 it arrived to the United States and Mexico
after that.
Then in Mexico the card was lost, I suppose it went
partying somewhere in Tijuana as I would normally do.
After months of being lost I was told about the card
and the idea that there were some photos taken just in
case the card got lost in traffic. I felt special having such
nice friends all around the world and thankful for such
a nice idea.
Some day in September 2012 the Card stop partying
in Tijuana and decided to continue the route and
arrived in Brazil, Argentina and Brazil once more. Since
my plans changed quite a bit after such an amazing
IAESTE experience, the card didn’t move to Colombia
but finally and thankfully arrived in Hamburg early in
2013.
Postages from all around the world were cut and
pasted again in the card, melancholy, laughs and hangovers
were coming out of it without even having read
what all of the people had written on it. It is such an
honour to have met you all and to be able to say I have
some many wonderful friends all around the world.
IAESTE, Serbia, and all of these fantastic people are
the proof that life is even more precious if you’re surrounded
by nice, unconditional friends. Those memories
can never be taken away from me and that is the
most valuable treasure that I’ll take to the grave. Thank
you all for that. Abrazos!
The world loves us and supports us!!!!
Juan
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