It's been a busy year right up to the end, as you can judge by my 2013 Christmas lights display leading this post, but it's been a blast! And I ended the year in a special way...
Looking back it was a year filled with obstacles now surpassed, it started out with a time of sudden self-reflection, the realization that your environment is incredibly important in achieving your goals.
Removing the negative influences reduces stress levels and helps you to regain focus and having a solid team behind you makes every venture feel that much easier. I've met some great people and I'm thankful for their support and their individual efforts in achieving my goals. I've also launched a bunch of new projects, partnering up with some of the expected crowd, and some of the less expected crowd and I have enjoyed it every step of the way.
Much like Christmas, I was in transit on New Year's Eve and when I caught the time, and cleverly diverted from my route to the edge of the inner city of Antwerp by the water. I found something I positively saw as a road, but looking back it may also have been a bicycle lane with poor signalisation. Nevertheless, after negotiating some major puddles of standing water and a little off-roading, I found myself right by the water parked under a decommissioned pedestrian bridge.
I grabbed a drink, a flash-light and the complimentary cigar I got from one of my clients earlier that day and climbed up.
I'd been to Antwerp to see the fireworks over the river many times, but this was quite special: absolute serenity around me with a view of the entire skyline, the river on the right, the cathedral taking the middle and the section with Central Station and Astrid Plaza on the left. Too bad I did not come prepared for this and my phone's camera couldn't take it. Us lucky Belgians had permission to fire of modest fireworks between 2400hrs and 0030hrs, and at about 2340 the sounds of explosions in the city were constant, but next to a few flashes and the flashing police lights (who were out in force because of some terrorist threat) I didn't see much. Then, at about 2400, all hell broke loose as the big guns were lighted. Beautiful arrays of colours lit up the night sky as if the city was on fire and I had front row seats to the show.
I lit up, popped a beer and contemplated about the future for a moment as I watched this amazing sight, thought about the fights won and the lessons learned this year, and I smiled. Thank you 2013, you will never return, but you will be remembered!