Happy New Year – 2014… A time for change!

It’s been nearly a full year since I last wrote… and how things have changed! Since February 2013 I’ve been working at the one and only Booking.com, where I’ve spoken with both sides of the globe on a daily basis as a part of my role within Customer Service… Awesome or what?! I’ve therefore plunged headfirst into my first full time job since finishing university.

It’s so great that my voluntary experiences in Lille, both with my European Voluntary Service (a European Commission scheme) and Service Civique (a French scheme), have really given me a taste of working within an international environment. I’ve therefore carried this passion forward into my work at Booking.com.  I’m surrounded by people from many different cultures, speaking so many different languages that I can really learn something new every day... Talk about an eye opener.

But guess what… I’m still living in Lille, more than 2 years after my European Voluntary Service ended in November 2011! I could never have imagined that I would have stayed so long after finishing, but what can I say… there’s something gripping about this beautiful city.  I would definitely recommend it for a weekend away.  It’s so easy to get to from London, Paris and Brussels… You just need to jump on a train.

Lille from the sky. December 2013. Copyright David Warburton

So here’s to 2014. I hope that many more new faces appear in 2014 in Lille to say a quick “Hi” to the locals. I want to wish you all a wonderful new year, full of surprises, happiness, personal fulfillment, ambition, personal development and of course…. Love!

I want to share with you the following poem I wrote in 2011.  Remember, embrace change with open arms and learn from any mistakes you may make – We all make them!

Changes

Any change

However large or small

May feel like a mountain

Or nothing at all

Individual differences

Leaps of faith

Changes in life

Mustn't be lost in the race

Moving on forward

For better or worse

Moving into new pastures

Resisting the curse

Change of environment

Everything unknown

Challenge to ignite

The seeds already sewn

Making new friends

Lighting new fires

Sharing your story

Within your history, crossing wires

Any change

Helps in life to grow

Willing to succeed

Forever more seeds to sew

Keep smiling everyone and look forward to better things in 2014. You will be hearing from me soon :-D