It all started like this….
September 2013. I had just finished my second internship and I worked in high quality restaurants, but my one and only thought was a foreign kitchen…. Dubai or Sweden? Two completely different places.
I had friends in Dubai, who told me to go there, so as to be improved and on the other hand, in Sweden, I had a cousin who was a cook and we had just talked in order to give me some advice on my career.
I sent a message to my cousin to ask if there was a vacant position at the restaurant. I also contacted with a restaurant in Dubai. Since my cousin hadn’t answered, I was ready to sign a contract in Dubai, but I wasn’t satisfied, I had a bad feeling about it.
After 15 days my cousin answered. If I was interested in the job, I should answer immediately. I was in a dilemma.
My cousin kept asking me about what I was planning to do for 20 days. I was about to go to Dubai, but when they sent me the contract, which I found complicated, I decided to refuse the job and accept my cousin’s proposal. I only had 300€ in my pocket and I should make the right decision.
It was a foggy and rainy day, October 26, 2013. I felt really nervous, I said goodbye to my family and with 800€, which I had borrowed, I traveled from Volos to Thessaloniki airport. It was a completely new experience for me, as I had never been to an airport before and I didn’t speak any English. I felt like I was lost in space.
Luckily, I was traveling along with an old lady. I told her my story so far, in order to make myself less anxious. She was so kind and willing to help me at the airport and during the flight, she let me know how beautiful Sweden is. The plane took off and my journey to Oslo began.
When I arrived in Norway, it was too cold, -2℃, my cousin had been waiting for me with a big smile on his face. We drove to Goteborg, where his wife Nadia and their newborn baby waited for us. I had just met them and they were so cordial! We have been so close since then!
Every year I visit Sweden and generally Scandinavia, at least once a year, either for work or vacation.
I could write much more about that place, but the most important thing to remember, is that we should do whatever we love, without thinking about obligation. We should be patient and we must never give up, after all everyone has a purpose in their lives.
Everything happens for a reason!
