Tuesday 18 March 2014

Bye Belgium!


Well, that was short! Maybe that's what many of you are thinking right now. A little over a month since I reactivated this blog, I am already closing it again (this time I think for good).

Indeed, I have early finished my traineeship in the EP, as I returned to Portugal to start a permanent job here. I was in a recruitment process for a while now, that was taking too long to be completed (5 months!), so I decided to come to Brussels meanwhile and do the traineeship in the EP that I had been invited to. It so happens the said recruitment process came to an end last week and they chose me :) a permanent contract (not another traineeship, yay!), in Lisbon, in the area of work that I wanted. So I am quite happy about it and have already left Brussels last week to start my new job here tomorrow.

So, no more traineeships or Brussels for me in the future (only as a tourist!), so the time to close this blog for definitive has come. I started it when I found out I had been selected for the EC traineeship, kept it in a pause for a while and returned to it when I found out I was going to Brussels again, this time for the EP. It was great having made this blog, as it served as a diary for me of all the things I have done and also as a help for the future/current trainees in Brussels, that found my tips useful. I had an average of 500 readers per day, a total of around 120.000 visitors, 1.600 followers of the Facebook page and over 120 posts made. So all I can do is thank you for having passed by and reading my adventures :)

I received great feedback both here, in Facebook, by e-mail and even in person from all of you who read me during this year and I am glad my blog was useful for you. I am quite an active person that likes and wants to make the most out of the places I pass by, so all the things that I have shared here can serve as ideas for the people living in Belgium to do. Most of them are events that are annual, or trips that can be made at any time, so they can be enjoyed in the future by anyone interested.

Finally, one last remark about doing what makes you happy. A year ago I had left my permanent job in Portugal, as I wanted to change my career path and gain more knowledge on European issues, as well as having a work experience abroad. I did the EC traineeship always with the goal of returning to Portugal for another permanent job, having very clear in my mind what I wanted to do this time. Once the EC traineeship finished, I went back and applied to some positions back home, the first of them being the one job that I ended up getting now. Meanwhile having any answer, I worked in an Embassy in Lisbon and after that in the EP. 

So, a year later, I finally got what I wanted: to return to my country for a career that I desire and in a more long-term perspective, having enjoyed a last year working 3 different (very) nice jobs, travelling a lot, meeting new people, practising foreign languages... basically, feeling free again! So all of it was so worthy and I am glad I followed my heart and left (with the risks that it carried) the job I had and that I always continued to look for opportunities to do what makes me happy. I wish all of you the best of luck for your future and that you follow your happy path as well :)

Last but not least, I have tried my best to share here most of what I know and have lived in Brussels, so check the topics on the right for the subject you may be looking for. If, in the end, you still have something you believe I can help, feel free to contact me (I cannot promise I will be paying the same attention to that email address now, though!). Be sure to enjoy your time as trainees in Brussels, as there's so much you can do and learn there during that period!

Au revoir :)

Mariana

4 comments:

  1. Best of luck, Mariana ;)
    I'll try to follow my happy path as well with no fear!
    Beijinhos,

    Filipa Oliveira

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  2. Very informative article keep it up
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