jingle bells Giant snowflakes were illuminating an already bright, bustling street. We walked hand in hand, enjoying the festive atmosphere, paused to stop here and there, occasionally joined the crowds and then stopped again when the saturated crowd spat us out. Under the spell of such a magical night and one or two glasses of wine, in the freezing night we were planning our next adventurous trip. All of the sudden, as if by touch of magical wand something changed and all the bright light and constant noise of people laughing and cars honking their horns was overwhelming. My head was spinning and I began to feel rather dizzy. Yet somehow I managed to contain (gather) myself and got ready to go to work. My deputy manager and I got along very well, despite our cultural and age difference. She was much older than me, a mother of three and very outspoken. Maybe I should have waited until the evening, perhaps I should have waited for the right moment to arise. In disbelief I looked at the phone, as if it was its fault, checking whether I dialled the correct number and was really speaking to my partner and not to some strange person whom I have never met before. We all have to make decisions in our life, some smarter than others, some less painful (crucial). The remaining few days to New Year’s Eve celebration rushed past leaving me no wiser. At that point I realised that the situation is actually not as bad as it seemed because I got only two options and the choice was for me to be made. I trusted that my experience in dealing with obstacles and my adventurous, yet responsible character combined with my passion for exploring the unknown are skills every parent should want to share with their child. There was no point to wait any longer. I made my decision. The old haggard coat slid off and once again London was wearing a splendid robe and tiara on top of it as everyone joined in, counting down the very last seconds of the old year. I also stood there counting, stars capriciously twinkling in my eyes, trembling with anticipation and eager and to see what the future held!