As Good as Reality TV

The MT3 (Manila Team 3) at Plaza San Marco, Venice, Italy

The past two months I’ve yet another opportunity to travel to Europe. This time with six more people. This isn’t Big Brother, but it might have been for all we know. We were a bunch of new hires for a startup company that were sent to Europe for a two-month training. We were basically strangers, we’ve only met each other twice at the embassy: when we applied, and the time we got our Schengen visas.

We were whisked to Europe (yes, whisked, because my first day with the company was the day of my flight), in Budapest to be exact and stayed together in the same apartment complex. It was like we were forced to live with each other and discover our own differences and similarities in the span of two months. The differences between us and Big Brother? We can go out of the house whenever we like, and there were no cameras that we know of (except for our phones, that we often use to take pictures and group chats on Facebook).

At Buda Castle grounds in Budapest, Hungary

Living with strangers is challenging and interesting at the same time. We don’t know each other’s behaviors and at first, it felt like walking on eggshells as we were still trying to figure out one another. But there are also people in the group that we immediately clicked with, like we knew each other forever.

Zurich Central Station in Switzerland.

We had trainings, demos and exams during weekdays but we got to travel around Europe during weekends. It’s not much time but we managed to make it work, albeit with tiny sacrifices.

There were times that we got on each other’s nerves, especially during our weekend escapades when we were only running on two to three hours of sleep on a bus (with just a square foot legroom) and a cup of coffee.

While waiting for our bus to Milan in Verona, Italy.

But the good times surpass all the not-so-good. Seeing lots of interesting and magnificent places is just a bonus. One thing that sure stuck with me is the experience of living in a foreign land with complete strangers and eventually building a bond that I am sure will stand the test of time. And when we’re old and gray, we can say to each other “We’ll always have Europe”, to refer to the whole two-month experience that would plant smiles to our faces that other people would never understand about us.

If I would be asked if I want to do everything all over again, I would say yes in a heartbeat. I wouldn’t change a thing even including our hunger-induced spats (and heartbreaks?), as those not-so-good stuff made this experience a lot better. 

The Best Ship is Friendship

Ever since I graduated from college, the most fun I had was when I was on my second job working for over two years. I got to meet crazy yet amazing and talented people. Each one of us have quirks and flaws but it didn’t prevent us from forging a bond that I am sure will last a lifetime.

Like all relationships we had more than our shares of ups and downs. Suffice to say that we’ve gone through a lot in the couple of years that we had: lost a family member, a lover, a friend, a job, a dream but we stuck through it all. 

There are days that some of us get lost in the path, but like the truest friends we allow each of us to fall off the path for some time and catch up with them when we think it’s necessary with a welcoming smile and a hand to hold on to. We had the dynamics that will make Lean Six Sigma ashamed of its existence.

We were a force to behold, when we put our heads together anything is possible. We’ve done everything together from social events, projects, team buildings, charity works, marathons, out of town trips, festivals, staycations in a hotel, fancy dinners, nights out, chilling at home and even got ourselves almost kicked out of a coffee shop (which we all remember and a topic for a different day).

With them it’s not important if we’re doing something significant or not, as long as we’re together in one place two things are for sure: there’ll always be food and no one goes home without laughing his/her heart out.

We know each other like the back of our hands: we know what a smile, a smirk, a frown, a fake cough, a tone of voice, a “seen” on group chats means. We’ve made each other our extended selves. And I can’t imagine life without you, I wouldn’t be where I am right now if I haven’t met any of you in the process.

Now that we are on a life crossroad, I am praying that we make it out to our destinations still holding on to each other despite the journey and then we can celebrate each other’s successes.  And never forget the times that we had together. The laughter, the tears that played important parts to who and what we’ve become. 

No matter where we’ll be in a month or so, whether miles apart or a desk apart never forget that we’ll always have each other. And we’ll always be each other’s cheerleader come hell or high water. 

And I am looking forward to the day that we’ll meet and have coffee outside of the country and we’d be kicked out of the shop as we'd still be dying of laughter like we always used to do. 

You might be wondering why am I suddenly emotional? It’s the 4th of March, the day that I got to meet most of the crazy, amazing and talented people three years ago.