Last two weeks at BIC

Overwhelmed with emotion

Las ultimas dos semanas han sido una locurão, probably beginning that eventful day of the R-Package working group meeting, SESA exchange at the Bank, BIC's holiday party and the skype conversation with Josh.

Creo que he crecido en algo en estos dias. Ese dia de verdad fue un shock al sistema. I loved it porque hicimos un monton de cosas profesionales muy interesantes (como menciono arriba), y mas encima, con mis colegas super cheveres como Christian, Josh y Patrick- el equipo REDD menos algunos. The Bank meeting was so interesting, funniest thing was watching the TTLs and Benoit arguing amongst themselves basically, and Josh coming out of it exclaiming, "What a fucking waste of time!" Lol me encanta ver las dinamicas del Banco y CSOs, adds so much color to our work. Pero bueno, lo que aconteció despues fue mas interesante.

The holiday party was awesome- even though we did NOT play games. That's something I'll have to work harder on at the next office event I ever go to. Traje un ponche de durazno, had the most delicious beer I ever tried (dogfish, made with raisins and a sense of purpose), converted it into latino night (!!) :) Got the LAC peeps and Alvin and Nadia dancing, was awesome. Did the 'pretzel' with Josh, a salsa with Alvin finally, a bachata with Christian. And of course this whole time just super happy that mi 'jefecito' estuvo por alla, la primera vez en un evento casual con tragos y musica. Obviamente siempre sabia que tenia un espiritu salvaje/carretero/latino que nunca veia, y ya por eso always wanted to party with him! It was awesome while it lasted, and then the LAC team went home early, which was a disappointment. pero bueno, me divierto en todo caso :) me quedé hasta el fin, y me fui para la casa un poco buzzed.

Ah si, se me olvidó mencionar el articulo sobre "How drunk can you get at your office party" que le queria enviar durante la tarde, pero pensé que hubiera sido inapropiado asi que lo resistí. Bueno, despues de la fiesta ya no tenia nada que ver, entonces se le envié como algo ligero. Y pues, me respondió inesperadamente en ese mismo momento! Me agradeció por bailar con él, como un momento "inolvidable" jaja, y le dije lo mismo...intercambiamos como 4-5 correos, todo divertido, me gustó mucho claro. Me sugerió que inicie el skype para que hablemos por ahi y de repente, estaba platicando con él por un par de horas! No podia creer que estuvo pasando. En aquel momento los dos estuvimoszumbidos (buzzed jajaja) y la conversacion fue bastante rica...abierta, honesta, divertida. Me sentía como soñaba mientras me contó algunas cosas ridiculas, tal vez inapropiadas. No temía las consecuencias en aquel momento, creía que podía superarlas- no soy awkward ni muy shy, ademas ya tuvimos una relacion amigable. Sin problemas.

Bueno, por todo todo el fin de semana, no podia pensar en nada mas fuera de la conversacion. Me ponia tan nerviosa por verlo el lunes, pero a la vez no podia esperar la llegada del momento de vernos de nuevo. Por razones de aventura, por las posibilidades de...posibilidad. Que emocion tenía!

In short, lo que sucedió despues fue 15 minutos de awkward tension durante el staff meeting, donde me sentía TAN rara pero played it cool, and he stole several glances at me. El resto del dia pasó sin vernos...menos una vez en la cocina. Pues en los proximos dos dias, me morria de querer hablar con él, porque pues igual es mi colega, y queria discutir la salida de Paulina y Patrick y el futuro del Forest team con él. Since I needed to 'keep my distance' por un rato, esperé hasta el jueves antes de ir a su oficina para platicar, fue tan dificil porque siempre iba a su oficina. Entonces, por fin fui con una lista de temas, inclusive Google Analytics para hablar sobre el forests page. Long story short, I was showing him how to use it and then Christian came, with a question about the SESA brief but then just followed in learning Analytics. And then he was upset that I'd taught Josh how to use it before I did him. Anyway, I was glad that he was there with us, it was quite fun!

By Friday evening, estuvimos charlando por skype de nuevo, y todo pareció normal- fui al Greenpeace holiday party por su sugerencia, y fue bakan! Oh and that Friday was when I sent out the LAC team jibjab card- it was SUCH a hit at the office, Christian y Paulina y yo nos morrimos de la risa, for real. They loved it! (http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/Q2IFWeAPfIa224A5)

Monday was awfully sad, but really enjoyable. It was Paulina's last day. Fuimos a los food trucks juntos con Paulina y comimos en el comedor. De ahi hablamos bastante, principalmente sobre su familia, el español, Llosa Vargas....and Paulina was just praising me ah que verguenza! Brought out the salmon-tuna peppermint bark :) I was going to make pisco sours that evening for the LAC team, so I def wanted to set the stage for that. So pumped that everyone was excited for the sours :) That last LAC team session was fantastic. The drinks were wonderful, the conversation light and inspiring. Compartimos cada uno cuentos de la accion directa mas radical que hemos hecho: Paulina la 'ecochica' saltando la reja frente el congreso de Ecuador, Josh como housing activist doing sit-ins in New York y marcado en tinta marrón en Peru, yo en DC y Christian un poco mas tranquilo jej. It was truly such a good time, a good end to Paulina's time at BIC. I will truly miss working with her!

It was interesting how things morphed at BIC though; by late October I practically stopped working with Paulina, instead being more involved with the REDD campaign. I guess that at that point she was also figuring out her own next steps, and closing in on the Mexico work she was leading. It worked out well- I am so glad that I got roped in and accepted warmly into the forest campaign, and I've enjoyed that area of work immensely.

Today was my last day at BIC. Because the farewell had been dragged out this entire week, I think I felt lista/pronta to go (even though I had not completed my forest page work!). Goodbye lunch at Noodles at 11, long chat when Andrea T came in today, mini donuts at the Holiday Market with Hetal, Milen and Andrea.....it was a very good last few days :) Yesterday was excellent, hit the Chinatown Starbucks with Milen to finally contarle la historia de Josh, puesto que ya no somos empleadas de BIC hehe. With her then telling me about Alvin, there was so much juice and a lot of shock! Lol. Today, cleaned my desk and looked around for items to take with me- did not have the guts to take the UNDRIP poster :P

Moving on, moving on...I am excited to start at Forest Trends. Although the Carbon Program is small, there is a whole organization to get to know! And everyone will be forest people! I hope I love it. There is that small bit of me that is hoping to return to BIC as a REDD intern and even REDD-LAC Assistant, but at the same time I enjoy change; I embrace it and, as always, live the present to the fullest. There are excellent experiences to have and lessons to learn, encounters to share and relationships to thrive in, wherever I find myself.