The most difficult part of all relocations is leaving people. Saying your farewells has a dual face. It’s the best but also the saddest part when moving. It’s the best part because it keeps you busy, your diary is full of appointments with friends and activities but it’s also incredibly sad. Sad because you know that in a couple of weeks or days you are not gonna see your friends for a very very long time. The only time when you see them will be either on video or occasionally when you visit them or when they visit you.
When four years ago I was in Kraków airport travelling to Hong Kong I was jumping out of joy because I was leaving. There were no tears, no excessive goodbyes, no see you soon… nothing. When I was leaving HK there was not only a big farewell party where everybody got drunk but also tears when I was driving to the airport. I simply didn’t wanna leave the place where I felt so at home. Where I made friends, where I had a fulfilling job and where the food and climate were just perfect. It was just sad… Funny cos it should be the exact opposite. Be sad when leaving your home country and be happy when you return to your home country. I remember that four hours before going to the airport I went to my favourite place in HK – TST promenade, sat down on the bench with a cup of coffee and cried like a baby when taking the last glimpse at the skyline of the city that I fell in love with. I promised myself that one day I’ll come back for good, not only temporary. That promise is yet to be fulfilled as instead I moved to Germany. And this time there was a bit of drama at Kraków airport.
Farewell drinks
it’s an absolute must to organise farewell drinks and!!! At least pay for the first round. The farewell drinks are a symbol. A symbol for saying thank you to all those people who made your life better. People you laughed and cried with. People who were there for you and you for them. It’s also a good chance to see all those people you didn’t see for a long time although you were thinking about them.
When it comes to organising the event, you must remember it’s advisable to host those on a Friday or Saturday and one week before you leave. Why? You need to sober up! Place… that’s totally up to you. If you prefer to invite friends to a bar, restaurant, or your apartment. However maybe not apartment as you would need to clean up after 😛 I organised my leaving drinks on Saturday the 19th Feb in a bar in Krakow called Nalej Se. It was a good place as they have beer distributors where you can pour the beer yourself. I’ve invited like 70 people, only the drawback was that I had no clue how many would show up. Meaning I booked a table for ten people thinking that people will come and go and there won’t be more than twenty people at once at the table. Well… I was wrong. Around 30-35 people showed up. Meaning some were sitting at the table and some were standing. Some got drunk, some got really drunk and some didn’t drink at all. Everyone however had fun. Oh man… that was an evening. My team from work came and they made me the biggest surprise ever.
A wonderful goodbye gift… a book where my pictures were put on magazine covers. Man… amazing guys! Sharing the video from the event below at the end of the post. Have to say, it was a hell of a party… Left the bar at around 2 am but Joanna came up with the afterparty idea. Meaning I finished the night at 5 am… the next day the lack of sleep killed me more than the hungover. Very much worth though.
Don’t miss anyone
I didn’t have much time before moving to HK. I left within ten days from getting the final move approval from the company. Meaning I didn’t have time to organise leaving drinks or catch up with all my friends. Maybe that’s why I was so happy when I was leaving. This time I had one and half months before moving and this time, I wanted to spend as much time with my friends as possible. Sooo from mid Jan till end of Feb lots of prosecco was drunk 😉 Now when sitting in my living room in the serviced apartment in Dusseldorf I conclude that I do miss all the people back home.
There are the fantastic ladies from Chodz Na Pole dance studio. Every training with them was special and incredibly fun. Nobody can convince you that a new pole trick doesn’t hurt the way Kasia or Ola can do it. Hence the Saturday before leaving I went to the last pole workshop. The theme was stretching and pole doubles. My double partner was Joanna, the one who talked me into doing pole. What a nice way to double with her before leaving.
My team from work – the hidden agenda behind the leaving drink was to see my team in person for the last time. I’m flattered as the majority of them showed up. Even Daniel, who lives in Warsaw came over. Man… that was really touching… especially due to working remotely I saw Daniel for the first time. Basically, I think that I won’t have a team like those guys ever again. Now I just hope that they will get a manager who will give them the attention and care they deserve.
Friends who you know for years – some couldn’t make it to the leaving drinks, so we were catching up throughout the month. There were lunches with Adrianna and Joanna, coffee with Daria, drinks with Paula and dinner with Kamila. Man… missing you ladies already.
All that makes you think – did I make the right decision? Because as much as I wanted to leave Poland the more, I felt devastated leaving all the people I love. Think that my friend Joanna took it the hardest. On the outside she said she doesn’t care and that I’m a bitch, but I know that on the inside I know that she felt seriously sad.
Now, the hardest was the last weekend before flying to Germany. After sorting all formalities by giving back my rented apartment, going to a pole workshop, having a massage to relax a bit after all that stress, Sunday was dreadful. Checked out of the hotel I stayed at and had an idea to go to Joanna’s place for a coffee. Called her, she was home… so I went there with my friend Konrad who generously picked me up from the hotel.
Well… the four of us spent a nice family Sunday until it was time to the airport. All of them went with me. Man… I always made fun out of goodbye scenes at the airport thinking… What’s the reason to be sad about? Somebody is starting a new life, it’s a thing to be happy about. Hmmm, the joke’s on me.
There were hugs, tears, and waves till crossing the security checkpoint. At this point I wanna say my usual – yes very sad, anyway but I can’t. Didn’t think that I would ever feel this way after growing a thick skin. However, some people do have a huge impact on your life and their footprint will stay with you… as said earlier true friends stay regardless of the distance.
Well as Forrest Gump said – that’s all what I have to say about that.
Indeed Alice 
We will miss you!!! Good luck! ♡
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Thank you and yeah will miss you and the team as well :* BUT remember what I said on Thursday before leaving, if you feel frustrated, you know where to find me 😉
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