Le Cafe

It's 445am in the morning and I am back home. I 'm on my own since my my three flat mates are spending the night at their girl friends' place (I guess so...). The whole place for me... but I just can think about how things are - or seem to be - changing. I ain't drunk tonight although I have had a couple of drinks. Just enough to let the words flow easily...

I've been having dinner and drinks with my former workmates. At this place called Le Cafe. Nice place and nice food. I can't help thinking about the time when I first visited the place on its opening day a couple of years ago. It's a place with nice cuisine and with huge pictures of both Brad Pitt and another very hot girl on the restrooms doors. First time I visited the place I did not know if I had to go through BP's door b/c he is a guy or through the hot girl's door b/c she's so hot and she was showing the guys' way. I found out (after first entering the latter) that the former was the right one....

As I was saying I've been having dinner with my ex-colleagues - and very good friends - from the law firm I used to work for. I wouldn't say that I'm feeling gloomy right now but a kind of nostalgic feeling is all around me. It's been great to see these guys after a long time and to chat about how our lives are going. On the flipside, I must confess that at certain point I've felt like I was living in a different world. The funny thing is that I am. So close and so far at the same time. I don't work for big corporations any more. I don't have a huge responsibility with respect to deals that appear on the financial papers anymore. I am not in that world anymore, at least for the time being. I am currently a student who used to share every single work related thing with these guys and doesn't anymore. I do live in a different world now.

It's been a year and a half since I left the law firm to embark on a huge adventure looking for new paths. I do not regret at all so far but I can't help feeling nostalgic about my law firm times. They were tough and extremely tiring and demanding but I do definitely keep the good times I spent with my friends and the stuff that I learnt. The latter is definitely useful to look at things with some perspective. A conclusion has been drawn tonight. We (I will still include myself among them for these purposes) dislike the way of life that we (used to) have; however, switching to something different, more comfortable from a personal standpoint, may not be as easy as it seems at first sight. Leaving dough aside, we like action and it seems like action and long hours go hand in hand. Finding the right balance may be more difficult than it seems...

Tonight's dinner has also showed me - more than anything else lately - that people do move on. I have seen for the first time the beautiful baby (I had bought I cute NYC t-shirt for him) of two of my friends. I have been able to celebrate the prospective weddings of another four friends. A cute (she's still really cute, btw, and has reminded me of not so-long-ago good times) girl I used to hang out with has been doing good with a guy for a year so far... people move on. And I won't say that I am not b/c that would be untrue but it is kind of impressive to see your friends taking some big steps. I guess it would be different if I saw them everyday. But when you don't see people often, changes always seem bigger.

Anyway, it's time to close down. Tomorrow there is a long day ahead. I will play some tennis with some friends in the afternoon after nearly a couple of years and later on I will go to a friend's birthday party. I'm sure it will be good fun.

Ciao