Post # 100 :D

WOW!! This is my 100th post to my personal blog!!!

It all started back in September 2005, when I was moving from Brazil to Netherlands, for an AIESEC internship at ABN AMRO Bank. And now, 3 years and 10 months later, I start to get prepared to come back. I arrive in São Paulo on 24th of August for a new cycle in my life. I'm closing my chapter of 4 years in Europe.

At the Kaospilots, I graduated two weeks ago, in an incredible party organized by Team 14 and 15 (first and second year students). I was carried home at 6.30am, by Pedro and Florentine, my two guests who came from Amsterdam to party with me! And, even better than that, I managed to pay all my school debts in time!! (this is definitely a good theme for another post!). Unfortunately, my final exam didn't go well (this is subject for yet another post), and I'll have to go for a re-exam, to take place on 19th of August :S

I'm finishing the last changes to my final project for my client, and on Saturday I start another "crazy European summer trip". Like in 2007 when I hitchhiked across France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Czech Rep, or in 2008, when I traveled over 3.000km and 40 different cars across Denmark, Sweden and Norway!

This time I'm combining fun and work, adventure and reflection!

• GetWild Nature Quest: going back to Sweden, this time as one of the "hosts" of the 7-days Nature Quest, including 3 days-solo in the Swedish Mountains of Vålådalen (see map). 21 young people from Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and even Brazil and Iraq (!) are joining us this year!

• Molde Jazz Festival: Mark, Philip and I will hitchhike and couchsurf to Trondheim and Molde (Norway), where the famous Jazz Festival takes place. We'll meet our friend Inger-Mette and hopefully we get some paid job for one week!

• Sailing trip from Molde to Oslo: one week sailing with Skipper Christian Løken, who joined our team at the Kaospilots but left us to join the Volvo Ocean Race ;-)

• Madrid: some days working with Guga, good old friend, with whom I'm developing a business plan for our startup and we're part of a competition promoted by Artemisia Foundation. Deadline is 2nd of August!

• Italia: back to the roots, once again. This time I'll travel to Rome with Florentine and relax for a few days in the countryside, with good wine, good food. Good life!

• Denmark: back to Denmark, time for the re-exam, pack my stuff and fly home!!!!!

Who knows, maybe I meet some of you on-the-road, let me know if that might be the case!

Ah, my record says that I blog an average of once every two weeks!! At least I'll keep this average for the the next year to come!

(and many updates come on Twitter anyway. Follow me...)

Summer plans?

I came back from China in the end of April and after spending 2 weeks in Amsterdam working for GRI and seeing some old friends, I arrived in Aarhus focused in finishing the semester and figuring out my summer plans... my original plans of staying in Aarhus working on a cool marketing project got canceled and I got a bit confused in the middle of a thousand ideas and no concrete decisions. Anxiety and impatience are not good companions for those moments, I must confess.

Cutting the crap (I guess no one wants to read about my inner conversations with myself over the last month), some good things came out and some more traveling is taking place!!

I'm taking part in a summer leadership/meditation retreat facilitated by John Milton (www.sacredpassage.com) in the mountains in Sweden, camping for one week, spending 3 days on a solo-trip where the sun never sets! I'm really looking forward for this experience and to prepare myself this this journey I decided to hitchhike all the way from Aarhus to Valadalen Natural Reserve, near Aare, a 1,500km road trip! I will have the company of my beautiful Danish friend Louise so I think we won't have problems to get rides! ;-)

After Sweden, I'll be in Copenhagen for a couple of days before heading to Brazil, where I will work on a project for the 2 months (from mid-July until early September). I'll be based in Sao Paulo and I'm looking forward to meet old friends, meet new people and start planning some cool future projects!! I'll be at the AIESEC Alumni Congress, for sure!!!! (I didn't imagine that happening...)


I'll blog more on the hitchhiking trip when possible, and share some thoughts from the camping retreat...

Life at Mejlgade street

I got used to be a nomad in Århus, and I'm learning to carry less and less, only the necessary goes with me. Of course I would like to have a place I call "home" for a longer period, but rent is expensive to keep when you are always traveling around. Living rooms and couches became "home" and they will continue to be for the next two years!

Last week I moved again, I think it was the 7th or 8th time in one year I live here. I live together with Daniel, the current LCP of AIESEC UNI - yes, again, AIESEC helping me...

The interesting part is that my daily life got reduced to 200 meters... I live, work and study in the same street: Mejlgade, which also comes to be the oldest street in Århus - over one thousand years old!!

"The original city [of Århus] grew up around the mouth of the Århus Å river. Here the Vikings decided to settle because of the location's excellent potential as a harbour and trading position. The Danish word for "river mouth" was at that time "AROS", and this is the word from which "Århus" of today originates. During the Viking Age a cluster of houses along the river up to Immervad and down to the Mejlgade street constituted a small urban community encircled by an earthen rampart and a moat." (VisitAarhus.com)

I live at number 5, last floor with an amazing sunny terrace (able to climb up to the roof)

I study at the backyard of number 35, Kaospilots.

And and work at the number 24, cleaning a cool bar called Ris Ras. It's easy and I do it in the morning before going to class. The benefits includes "under the table" cash, free (good) coffee and very cheap beers, besides lots of nice staff.

But this is only for this month, in October I'll spend two weeks in Copenhagen and perhaps go to Brazil until January!