Sharing AIESEC Experience, the beginning of the end, right now, right here

I want to post something today, what to post? I don't know, but I was feeling something inside of me motivating me to post, so I decided just to share a bit of me, the INSIDE OF ME, NOW! So here I go…

The last month, I was living in Chile, I visit Paraguay by the first time, I was in Brazil for 1 day! Currently living in Argentina and I completely enjoy my travel and nomad life!

For those that didn´t know, I applied to be country coach of AIESEC Thailand. I had 1 more choice (SSGN Board), at the end, I put "all the eggs in the same basket" I only apply for Thailand, and didn't have time to finish my SSGN application.

Now the results: I wasnt selected as Country Coach, and now, I have no SSGN board either, I guess "cost benefit". To be very honest I dont want continue analyzing why things happened in that way, I did a personal reflection already and you can be sure that I think once and again about this. So, its enough, I wont do anymore.

I feel sad, of course, I think, "things could be different", but now, I understand things happen for a reason. And if the things are for u, for sure they will come.
Regarding the SSGN board, probably in 5 years I will think: "someday I think to apply", sniff, sniff.

I think as well that even when I like very much SSGN board, is not the "last and unique way" to continue my life.

Well, this first part of this post its just to connect my current situation and just to share with you.

Now, I know that there is still A LOT OF THINGS to think about and 1,000 more things I can do, maybe this is the time to start to see them deeper and analyse what can I do from now on.

So, I guess this is the time when I begin to walk into the “Heading for The Future” (of an AIESEC active career), after 5 years here, this is the time. I am starting to live my last months as an AIESECer! (even tough, I will be an AIESECer for the rest of my life). Probably you are wondering if I am scary, and the answer is: I DO! Everything its very uncertain, I didn’t had university life without AIESEC, and I had never work in a place out of AIESEC. For me AIESEC take my primary potential, was my professional school, from my 19 years until now.

I feel like I had a lump in my throat, its all very uncertain now…When I wrote this, and I read, I don’t really know how to face it, how to work this.

Now, I remember my 2nd international conference AIESEC (and YES, I STILL REMEMBER!), It was an International Congress in Serbia & Montenegro (Kopaonik, to be more specific), at the Closing, the President of AIESEC International 03-04, Pedro Santos, started his speech, and he told us a lot of good things, but I remember NOW 2 of them, the first one: “This is not the end, this its just the end of the beginning”, and I remember now, because those words means for me, my whole career through AIESEC, I had just 1 year enjoying the organization, soon I move into a leadership position, since then, 4 years after, here I am. Pedro, that was for my AIESEC career the “end of the beginning”.

The second thing I still remember very well, he told us that WE, those delegates sitting there, carefully listening his speech were “the country leaders”. He said: “you are the current and future leaders of each one of the 87 countries (by then) of the AIESEC global network, so BE THE LEADERS that your countries need”. I have to confess that after listen that, I though “God!, where am I, but I do, I will seriously commit with AIESEC in Guatemala!!”. Today seeing, thinking, I know that I was the leader my country need by those years, I was ambitious, hard worker, and committed to AIESEC Guatemala by 4 years, and this year with Southern Cone, and I know that if I Re-think the Pedro`s speech, now I am in the “beginning of the end”, THIS is the beginning of the end.

Right now I feel very happy, If I could do more? Of course! You can always do more!! But I am happy cause all the things I achieve, the places I visited, the people I learn from and growth with, for every single moment, for every single love, all the intense learn moments, laughs, tears, for every step in my whole AIESEC EXPERIENCE!.

Even if This post looks like a Good bye, isn´t it, not yet. But this post became on the “beginning of my end”. I feel full of attitude, motivation, happiness, thankful, for all the things happened, and is really not easy for me to write this, right now, right here. I am satisfied to finish my “leadership role” stage in Latin America, for the completely experience, and it seems a year ago, when I was thinking “when I arrived…” I was booking my flight to come here, looking for an apartment in Buenos Aires (current MC house!), and I ever imagine the personal and professional growth that I would had here.

If I explain briefly it will be 5 main points:

1. Wonderful people that gave me a strong network 144 times bigger and meeting people that I can count on for the rest of my life. Hope to see you in Guate!

2. Challenging my world view, from re discover and learn again things like: “Chile, the role model country I studied the past 5 years” until discover what AIESEC does now, its evolution and how we are impacting now more and deeper.

3. Obtaining so much more knowledge, I am a entire Business Girl now! And I love it!, Even when I never studied that at school, I am very interested to learn more, and I did. And doesn’t matter if I never studied, at the end the experience was more intense, and that for me, counts much more than any book. By the other side, working in my functional area, Talent Management, was awesome, learn again how to work and WHAT to work, I completely LOVE IT. And makes me back in my initial steps in AIESEC: People!

4. “Tell me who are you with, and I’ll tell you who you are” (very popular uh?). This year I work with 5 amazing and incredible individuals, all I can say I learn a lot with everyone of you, thank you for gave me the experience to contribute to your growth and gave me a richer and better experience in Southern Cone. For me each one of you mean a BIG part of my amazing experience, and I never will forget every moment we spend together.

5. I had a lot of reflect moments for me, different scenarios, thinking about the things I have done, the things I want to do from now on, setting my goals in a long term and from another perspective and thinking about how to continue my life fulfilling it with experiences that gives me a learning experience as AIESEC was, as AIESEC is.

Wrapping up, if you didn’t notice that 5 points, was the 5 principles of every AIESEC Experience, and the most incredible thing now, is that in my last year, I stop read about them and I capitalize every single word of them, and sometimes that was a challenging experience for me. (nobody tell it would be easy).

Thank you Southern Cone for close my Experience in this way, to be the host of my last steps, and for making me the person I am right now, right here.

I am completely prepared for my last 3 months here, with my soul full of motivation and to give 200% of me! Southern Cone, Let`s do IT, NOW!

AIESECly yours, (as usual in the last 5 years),

Gaby