10 year internship scheme anniversary (VI): Things always happen for a reason

Today’s guest blogger is Cosmina Grigore,  a PR professional and patient coach. Cosmina was one of the earliest alumni and as a student she was the first to contact the embassy and to suggest the programme.

“This idea will never happen. They’ve never done such thing”, she said to me. Then she added: “It’s impossible, I tell, you. You are wasting your time!”

Lucky for me I didn’t listen to what my lovely colleague from University told me when I popped the idea of getting an internship at the famous British Embassy in Bucharest. 2 long weeks followed until I finally got a call back from Raluca Bragarea. I can still remember her lovely, polite, serious, but extremely warm voice over the phone: “The Ambassador agreed to see you….and another 9 of your colleagues. We will have to make a selection.”

So, the irony is this: I had the idea, I called the Embassy for 2 weeks until I finally got an answer, I delivered the internship program idea, we had the meeting with the Ambassador and bam! I was not selected! You could not even imagine the disappointment. I started the whole thing, but didn’t even get selected.

Well, things always happen for a reason. Because, 3 months later I got another call from the same warm voice telling me: “We need your help with some printings just for a day!”. So I got in.

And one day turned into a month of internship. And one month of internship turned into a couple more working for some other departments. And a couple more as Residence Manager (temp position). And these months turned into a couple of years. Amazing years. And the most amazing thing is that those calls I made wanting an internship at the British Embassy in Bucharest, that disappointment when not selected, that one day for printing got me one of the most life-long friendships of my life and some other more to feed my soul.

You see, everything happens for a reason and the secret is to be part of it and be grateful for it happening to you. No matter the disappointment, have patience and you will get an extraordinary adventure topped with delicious memories. My journey with the team here in Bucharest is something that will remain like a blue print on my development. It changed me, polished me, awoken my intuition, my creativity and willingness to do more in life. I remember the constructive feedback I always got from Raluca – I sometimes didn’t quite enjoy it, but I always embraced it and got the best of it. I remember the day the Ambassador took me to dinner. It was the end of my 1 month internship and we were supposed to end it with some presents and feedback. He gave me his polite, obviously constructive feedback, and a lovely book about London that I still keep. But somehow I decided I had to give him my feedback as well, and from the look on the Ambassador’s face, he was kind of surprised. But the Ambassador appreciated my honesty and this got me another call from him and I became the one helping him deliver his speeches in Romanian and some other challenging tasks.

While working at the British Embassy in Bucharest I always got up at 5 am. I always took extra work for home. Sometimes I wouldn’t even sleep just to get things done. I met some interesting business people, ministers, politicians, key people within the British Government and much more. It opened my eyes to a different world, a unique way of doing business, of organizing events, of doing PR and, most of all, it opened my eyes to a different way of being.

I am grateful for every moment spent at the Residence and at the British Embassy. I can still remember the smell on the hallway and taste “Doamna Maria”’s delicious pink beef. I am grateful for the life lessons I got, the jobs I got to do, the British jokes I learned and most of all, I am grateful for the people I met and the friendships I took with me.

Thank you team for being part of my life.

Cheers!

Cosmina