At the trade event the girl at the reception smiled and asked the woman for her name. The woman instinctively told her and then watched as the receptionist ran her pen down the guest list, her face growing longer by the second. Damn, the woman thought, probably she hadn’t sent her RSVP to the invitation. And she usually didn’t, out of… laziness? habit? having too much on her mind? So instead she had to resort to trickery. “I’m from Eurobuild.” “Aah,” said the receptionist, dropping the list and beaming an even bigger smile at her, “welcome!”
The number of people I’ve made friends with in this job has been huge. It really isn’t like that in other sectors, such as business, diplomacy or more stock market focused media. In real estate it’s different – like you’re part of a large family, and quite a harmonious one. I came in to work every day as if it was my own home, and to company events as though they were meetings with groups of buddies. The joy of seeing familiar faces at evening events, when people are so busy during the day that they don’t even have time to chat, made these business meetings after work a reward rather than a punishment – in contrast to how they are often regarded in other professions. And no wonder, these events are pretty cool.
After ten years I’ve finally decided to leave the media world, and for seven of those I was ensconced in the best editorial office there is. It was supposed to be just a brief adventure for someone educated in a completely different field and who saw her future taking a very different path. “You’re going to miss it!” I was told, at one business meeting on the banks of the Vistula. The sun was setting, the murmur of talk and laughter was all around me, and someone from the organisers was giving me a drink as they said this. “Yes, I’ll miss it,” I thought, but what I actually said aloud was: “Well, I’ve heard that there’s still life after Eurobuild.”
Do I have any doubts over leaving my cosy corner of the editorial office that’s been a home-from-home for so long? Of course I do! All the more so because this has been a significant chunk of my life, not only in terms of the number of years spent here but also in the intensity of the experiences I’ve had. Each day was one challenge after another and an endless learning curve. There was the never-ending quest for new and exclusive information about what was going on on the market (often requiring a great deal of detective work). At other times I had to put on heavy shoes, a reflective vest and helmet and pick up a torch to go down to level -4 of a skyscraper that was under construction, and then shortly afterwards pull on an evening dress for the cocktail party on the roof of the same skyscraper. No other sector or editorial office can offer a range of experiences like this.
There are those who say that everything and everyone can be replaced, and that having the right attitude is the most important thing in life. However, I know that such impressions, memories and emotions cannot be bought for any price. I also have no idea how I’m going to handle the withdrawal symptoms. Keep your fingers crossed so that I can quickly find out what the world looks like outside Eurobuild, and that – despite everything – it turns out to be cooler than I imagined. As I start a new chapter in my life with this hope in my heart, I also hope to see all of you again!
