The Next 3 Days
 

 

3 is a magic number. 

In 3 days we will finally be opening CE Graz, after 2 years of working on opening in Austria its hard to believe that its actually happening. When you have working towards something for so long, you can kind of get stuck in the process, the end goal feels very far away and it seems like its going to happen one day, but that day seems far, far away. When I see the physical results of all of our thoughts and actions, it makes me realise more and more that everything is possible. It does take a lot of work and time, thought and care but it really is possible. Its been 5 years since I came from England to Serbia, 3 years since the bar in Serbia opening and now in 3 days we have the shop in Graz opening party. When I arrived from the UK at the airport in Belgrade, ready to start a new life, I could have never imagined that all of this would happen. I was speaking about this with a friend and I was saying how the life I am in now would have never been in my thoughts at all. Imagine now in 5 years time from today what we will be doing and all the possibilities that will lay before us, we cannot even imagine it.

Has it been more difficult to open the shop in Austria then in Serbia? I have to say each place had its unique struggles and stories to tell, and with this one its just the beginning. Our shop in Novi Sad will always be so special to me, mostly beause of the incredible fight that we had to put up for it. The struggles that we faced were so strong that It really made me treasure it, love it and want to keep It alive and running. The place here still needs to live its stories, it still needs to have its unique struggles, so far its been very eventful, but I am sure there is plenty more to come.

Something I was realizing was also how all the struggles and problems you face when doing what you want to do are what make sure that you really care for it. The more problems that we have, the deeper and clearer the memories are for me. I love when people ask me to tell them what I am doing with my life and I just know that the story is so long, we won’t have time for it. Or when they ask me where I am living, where is CE or how it started. So much has happened that I can never give a one sentence answer. That is how I would love for my whole life to be, so many good stories, struggles and of course lots of successes as well.

Another exciting thing is that my band will be performing in Graz two shows in the next two days. Anyone who knows me well can say that I am for sure not a talented musician, but I love to perform and play. Normally when I play in Novi Sad its really ok for me to make a lot of mistakes and to laugh about it, I guess because I know everyone and of course… how hard can it be to get a gig in your own bar (Culture Exchange). We make a lot of jokes on stage about having talked to the manager etc… A lot of the show for me has always been fun, with a little bit of seriousness… I know I cannot be totally serious with my level of skills and also the way I look at everything in life… I kind of find most things pretty funny. Something about performing in Graz in front of people that I don’t know too well, who are all musicians and talented people, made me extra nervous. I started to really panic about the shows and worry that I would be really mocked, I even had a few nightmares. My friend brought me back into reality when she reminded me that we are never doing a show for anyone but ourselves and the most important thing is to do our best.  Its really interesting, because I never compare myself with anyone and I am normally just accepting myself the way I am, but thoughts of performing really filled me with insecurity and I was looking at everyone in the band as far more talented. I relaxed when I realised that we all have a role to play. even though I am not the best at playing guitar or singing and I have not studied music. I play my role by pushing the band to doing their shows, to making stuff happen, which has always been my strongpoint. Its something which I have been thankful  for all my life, that no matter how I feel about myself or how realisitic my skills are, I seem to always push myself to do uncomfortable things or to make it happen. 

So 3 days, 3 big things happening, next post will be about how it all goes