sLOVEnia

I am sitting at the Ljubljana airport, waiting to board the flight that will bring me back to Brussels, after four exciting and pleasant days in the country that contains love. The reason why I came to Slovenia was the first 2009 YFJ Bureau meeting, which included a very active team-building session. We stayed in a cosy Scouts' house bordering the Bohinj lake with an astonishing view over the white and breathtaking landscape and, in-between huge loads of great food, we invested in getting to know each others' better. For this, we used inside simulation games, and open-air, high-intensity activities like sledging and hiking. The sledging part, done in the dark and using inflatable boats, was mostly fun; the hiking was a more serious and demanding exercise. For me, in particular, it was a test to my bad physical condition, my lack of familiarity with the climate conditions and the equipment, and my vertigo problem... but, with a little help from my friends, I managed. And was therefore able to enjoy completely new emotions, spectacular views and astonishing environments. And now, I can't wait for repeating the experience, over and over again! The rest of the meeting was also very nice and effective, and I am confident that Tine, Christoffer and the rest of the Bureau will do a good job over the next two years. Their openess and eagerness to learn, and the solidarity among the team, will show them the right way. But, at the sime time that some are starting their journey, others are ending theirs: this was Mark's last Bureau meeting, and it is difficult to express with words how much I am going to miss him... My stay in Slovenia concluded with a very nice evening in Ljubljana and with a promise: I will come back!