Letter to the youthreporters

Hello readers,

So here another letter from the winner of the competition. I was thrilled when I heard it, and a bit surprised as well to be honest. The entries that I could read (the English ones) were very moving and open. I thought that my irony could not compete with that. But yes, I won!

I would like to share the life I am having now with all of you readers. To thank you in a way, and because I am very happy about all the good things that are happening in my life right now.

As I wrote the letter I was in kind of a desperate situation. On the edge of bitterness and despair to be honest. I had this great experience of EVS behind me and met the girl I instantly fell deeply in love with.
I had a job again but it was on a temporary basis. My contract would soon end and there was no prospect of finding a new job. And more important, no prospect of getting Sonja to the Netherlands or me going to Serbia.

During that period the discussion about immigration was very vivid in the Netherlands. You must know that the Netherlands took a very narrowed approach to it. Laws are strict about it. As I saw discussion shows about the topic one of the most commonly used arguments was: ‘It will costs as a lot of tax money.’ Also the attitudes towards unemployed people got more and more intolerant. Same argument, different discussion.

In that time I really started to hate a lot of people. I almost wanted to bash in the heads of all these narrow minded, intellectually challenged, selfish idiots who were promoting these ideas. But then I felt that anger would not get me anywhere. As it never does. I needed a way to accumulate all this negativity.
Hence the ironic tone of the letter. It is better to laugh at the people who you despise than to deeply hate them. By laughing at them you can see that their flaws are just as human as your own.

Anyway, good things started happening very suddenly. I applied for a job in Serbia as blogger and Social Media Marketer and I got hired! In one week my situation changed from having no perspective at all to living with Sonja in Serbia, having a job and to have won a price!

They say bad things come in pairs but also good things do! We have been on a Serbian TV show about long distance relationships. They got my brother over and gave me tickets for Sziget festival to join my Dutch friends there. The price money Sonja and I will use to go there.
I have been interviewed by the local newspaper here in Serbia and will keep a blog for them: ‘The impressions of a Dutch guy in Serbia.’

I just want to say to everybody that, cliché as it might be, that nothing is impossible. You just need to take risks and have the balls when opportunities show.

Thank you all for reading me and being the people who seek depth in their life!
Hope to see you somewhere in Europe one day.

Best regards,
Ramon.