The Best Moments in IGN

The position for Artemisia coordinator in IGN is now open, which means that in less than 2 months I will have a successor. I am really happy about that idea but at the same time it is impossible not to think about the last 10 months as part of the IGN Board and regional coordinator of the Artemisia partnership.

Since I've been thinking about this lately, here you have some of the best moments as the Sustainable Entrepreneurship Project Manager (that's a long title) + Social-Business Ventures Latin America Coordinator.

June 2009 - July 2008 - A Family in Rotterdam
We shared our perspectives from our regions, shared a lot and get to know and support each other. Our GN Board family is one of the best things of being in the regional board of AIESEC. I am really proud of the determination of this bunch of people. They are all impressive in their own way. I am sure I will miss you all and I wish I could see you all soon somewhere in the world.

August 2008 - IC and Brazil
I got to travel in August to Brazil my next home. Even when I was in Brazil, it didn't feel like it yet because of IC, it was so international from the beginning that I didn't feel the Brazilian mood at first. My best moment there: looking at the MCs of IGN and delivering the pre-meeting. I am really happy for the chance I had of delivering this pre-meeting and having the first contact with the region.

September - December 2008 - All over Brazil
After IC, I had to face challenges about where I would live, work and the rest. Luckily I found very nice people in this country who offered to host me in their places. Honestly I don't know what would have happened if I didn't have all this spontaneous support. Thank you to all the people who hosted me all over Sao Paulo. Then I went off for visits! The most amazing experience started here.

I visited Goiania, BH, Vitoria, Florianopolis, Porto Alegre and Santa Maria.It was really amazing to meet all the people from these LCs, to share their cities, their LC elections, their food, all the business meetings, coaching time, their garoto chocolates, the amazing view in Vitoria, the crazy heat in Santa Maria, chimarrao in Porto Alegre, soccer games, the rol calls in BH. Also thanks Debora for initiating me in the arts of drinking chimarrao as a gaucha. I saw a lot of very passionate AIESEC people. I hope you continue working with that passion. Thank you all!

January 2009 - Of Lima and chaufas
Back to Spanish speaking Latin America. Wow the first view of Lima stroke me so much, it was so full of life, color and people, I just kept looking at everything moving, cars passing, people going in all directions, it was so wonderful. I got to meet the members of the LCs in Lima, Catolica, Pacífico. I found about the different AIESEC cultures in the LCs in the same city, and about the amazing country that is Peru.

I loved the ceviche and the tiraito, I think I got to know all the chaufas in Lima, I just loved them, I could eat chaufas all the time! And one more detail that made my visit more special was the presence of Maria Belen. She is just a crazy, still amazing and lovable person. She took me out for pisco sour, and guaranteed a really fun nightlife in Lima. It is always good to meet an old friend again. Besos Mabe gracias por cuidar de mi en Lima. I have to go back to see Machu Pichu for sure!

January 2009 - In the middle of the world
When I got to Ecuador I was impressed by the AIESEC culture, and the growth, knowledge and structure they are reaching at this moment. My visit there was very balanced and fun. I met Ximena and we worked a lot with the LCs, the LCs from out of Quito came for the weekend to have a projects meeting. I was really impressed by their ambition and will to do things.

I also got to experience the night life in Quito with some interns and I saw the Ecuador line, and the center of the city. This city is particularly charming, the historical buildings are just beautiful and you can just walk around and appreciate the beauty. I also met an old friend, Daniel and Franchesca former MCP in Ecuador 07-08.

February 2009 - Si, si Colombia
I had big expectations about Colombia as a country and as an AIESEC entity as well, I should say I was not disappointed at all. I was impressed about the order in the streets in Bogotá, and how they organize the city, the transportation system and the pride Colombians display when talking about the country, I really liked that they really like to share their country with others and explain about it. But honestly from my perspective, there's two things that are just amazing from Colombia: bandeja paisa, and that cachaco accent!

About the LCs I got to see Javeriana in Bogotá, then I travelled to Bucaramanga, I was really impressed about the will of doing things and the fact that they put hands into action right away. Then I headed to Cartagena it reminded me a bit to San Juan, then to Medellin. I think Medellin was the city where I got to see more of the LC and the culture. We went to this super-modern library in the middle of a favela-like town and I ate bandeja paisa, and very cool projects that now are bringing results. By then I was totally sick because of the change of weather. Thank you Sandra for taking care of me and not letting me die in the middle of the LC visits.

Back to Bogotá I met the guys from Rosario, a University in an amazing building in the middle of the city. And I kept on meeting old friends, now I hanged out with Goeffrey from Belgium! Cool stuff and a lot of fun. End of the visit, ECI, an engineers school in the north of Bogotá with a really focused LC. Also some time at the MC office, thanks specially to Ruthie (for the tea and the good talk), Martha and Mishu (for the bed) I really enjoyed the time there! I hope I could meet you again somewhere else. I am super proud of the work you are doing in Colombia!.

February 2009 - Finally in Bolivia
I was supposed to visit Bolivia first just after Brazil, I couldn't do it because I didn’t have the vaccine for yellow fever (always check your travel requirements). I arrived to El Alto airport in the middle of the night, I realized the airport was built on top of a mountain and you could see La Paz from there. In Bolivia everything takes its own time, I think people reflect some innocence and happiness. There I experienced my first carnival in my life, with the two Natalias and Ronald, and despite the change of plans I enjoyed every minute of it. I loved the colorful parade, the traditions from the different parts of Bolivia and the games with water and soap.

The LCs Santa Cruz and Cochabamba went to La Paz and we had a meeting about projects and SER MAS. I was very impressed and inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit these members have. They have ideas to do something about the things they want to change, they are engaged with different things apart from AIESEC, and they are always curious and want to learn more. I think they are the most humble people I know so far. I want to come back also to visit some touristic places.

February 2009 - My enchanted island again
From the airport I was already in a shock with a million of flashbacks, I was in that airport a million times before to pick-up people, but now I was a visitor in "my own home". This was the first time I went to Puerto Rico after my MCP term finished in June. Everything was a flashback, and the first amazing surprise was the seminar for new members with about 100 people, being facilitated by people who used to be a new member for me. I saw the development of the country in quantity and quality. I was amazed. I was happy to see Betsy again and see Katy and Fatima already empowered in there MC terms.

I met the LC in Mayagüez, I think I never saw them so active, and the LC in Rio Piedras with a lot of initiative for doing new things. I understood that they changed and that they grew, they are more ambitious and for sure more AIESECers. I am proud of you guys and I want to keep seeing you growing!

March 2009 - ILC in Guatemala
I arrived in Guatemala, ready for ILC, our regional conference in Iberoamerica! I met Marco for the first time in a while and we got to… eat, what else can we both do? I think Guatemalan food has a lot to do with Mexican food, so I totally loved it! But back to the point, I met Marco, we had meetings with the CC Team, we went out with them and had a lot of fun.

The real deal started when the facis arrived to the site, and started preparing the conference. Since the preparation I could see that we had a very nice environment and great connection between us. I think this is the best faci team I ever had in my AIESEC experience. Thank you: Cintia, Katya, Aninha, Mishu, Ruthie, Malina, Marco, Pipe, Ligia, JJ and Deepti for making this experience unforgettable.

April 2009 - Mexico lindo
Back home after exactly one year. Everything is so weird but at the same time I was extremely happy to be there. The whole GN Board was there, and we got to see each other more and talk and have fun. I got to eat at home and relax, and had a week of amazing vacations in Mazatlan and then I took the CHEPE train from Los Mochis to Chihuahua, I recommend it!

I visited the National Conference in Mexico and saw people who was with me when I was part of AIESEC in Mexico. I saw all the people who want to go abroad and I was very happy to see that they will get to have an experience maybe even more impactful than what I had. May 2009 - Back in Brazil
Back in Brazil, I had one more great experience in my term. We were preparing the Social-Business Ventures Drive Meeting already for a while, and we had great expectations. Daniel, Rob and me changed the agenda 40 times (almost!) and we were looking forward to it! When I start seeing all our interns arriving to the site, and then interacting in the sessions, I was very proud to see that this program actually works and it has an impact on their lives. I was very proud to be a part of this partnership and I was so excited to see "my" interns shinning and taking the most out of their Drive Meeting. In the end we planned it for them.

I met some of them before in their countries, I talk to them from time to time and I am always happy and impressed when I hear more about their experiences. I feel also part of this new community that we have created! Thank you guys for an amazing Drive Meeting.

Now I am in Sao Paulo, settled, with a place to work and to live, with a bit more than one month from finishing my term and with all these amazing experiences and memories from IGN. I am really happy and satisfied of what it has been so far, I totally loved this year and recommend it to everyone.