If it starts like this…
Last Friday after classes, while I was coming back home, I was thinking about the challenge and also I was observing the people sitting in the tram. All of them were using their phones. They were hidden behind their screens, and none raised their head up to see what was going on around them. At that moment I thought that my challenge was not going to be easy and to start a conversation with random people was going to be harder than I expected.
I came back home, I left my backpack, I picked my coat, and went out again. I was motivated to start the challenge at that moment and I didn’t want to waste any minute at home. I decided to attend one of the Brera Design Days events, because I thought it could be a nice place to begin. I can tell that it was.
My first approach was to a girl called Catalina, she is from Chile and she was explaining furniture design to her grandma. I listened her speaking spanish so I immediately started a conversation with her. We’ve been talking about design (because she is an interior designer graduated from Politecnico), our careers, and also about our personal life. I gave her my personal card and then I continued with my path. While I was appreciating the Zanotta exhibition, I saw an Argentinian designer walking around. I couldn’t believe that he was there! Just in front of me. He is Francisco Gomez Paz, a great reference of design in Argentina and all around the world. In Argentina I attended many of his talks and we also studied his products design at the university. I couldn’t pass up such opportunity to talk with him personally, so I did it. We’ve been talking about design, politics, and I also told him what I am doing here in Milano.
I left the place with a big smile, I was very happy about that meeting and for a few minutes I didn’t realize what just happened. My challenge was starting to be much better that I expected; suddenly, a person that I admire, started to be part of my new contact network.
But it doesn’t end here. This was just the beginning of the AMAZING first experience in (let’s call it) “re-socialize” with people.
I arrived to Mostro, another BDD event. I was walking around, when… wait. Do you believe me if I tell you? (sometimes I can’t believe it, but it truly happened). Cristian Mohaded was there. He is another great referent of Argentinian design, and he was there as well. Of course, I approached to talk with him: “You don’t know me, but I know you!” I said, and I started to have a conversation. After one hour (yes! we talked a lot!), I decided to give him my personal card in order to exchange some contact and I went downstairs. It was happening again! Since that time I had not only met all the expectations about the challenge, but also encouraged myself to interact with people that I really admired. Otherwise, if I hadn’t challenge myself to go outside and connect with people, I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet these designers personally, or even have a conversation with them. If I go deep, I have to say that it was also synchronicity, but let’s keep this concept for another newsletter.
After a while, a few friends arrived to the place, and we were“socializing” a little bit more. Last but not least, my friend Sofia presented me to Alex, a 22 years old boy from Romania that was in Milano for his holidays. He is going to San Francisco next month to work for Adobe. (Yes, Adobe). We exchange our Instagrams in order to keep in contact, (it is like our “digital personal card”). I also met two more girls, one from Mexico and the other from Argentina, I couldn’t interact with them as much as I wanted, but few days later the Argentinian girl got in touch with me to ask me a few things about the citizenship. So, lets says that she started to be part of my new contact network in a indirect way.
That day, I went back home very impressed of what happened in a couple hours of “interaction” with people. I met super interesting people the same day, I had the chance to share knowledge and thoughts, and also to keep contact for future. It was a really good start that motivated me to keep on with the challenge the following days.
After all, I ask myself: Who’s gonna be the next?
