Travelling out of the Comité Directeur (CD) house for the first time, I was lucky enough to represent the current CD in a place that was much sunnier than 
Brussels: Network Meeting (NWM) Ioannina, organised by one of our brand new contacts.
The participants from Thessaloniki, Patra, Bucuresti, Ioannina, Kastoria, and Peiraiás got to enjoy the combined competence of three CDs (as Manos Valasis, former President, and Alma Mozgovaja, former Secretary General, were in the trainers’ team) and Costas Deltouzos, who once again offered his time and wisdom to AEGEE. Also Sofia Kaskari, the NetCom Assistant for Romanian and Greek speaking locals, did a great job in motivating participants, answering questions and explaining AEGEE.
Of course, Greek was the language of the NWM. Even though, in general, NWMs should bring multiculturalism to the local level, in Ioannina it was clearly visible how much it can bring to a NWM when AEGEEans are able to discuss their matters in their own language – not only the organisational topics, but especially the thematic topics, like for example Manos’ introduction to the Strategic Plan and its Focus Areas.
What made the NWM, however, were the participants, and most of all, the local organisers. Though it was their first event as a very 
young contact, a strong team with endless positive energy prepared everything perfectly for us. The occasional Greek delay was balanced with flexibility in the programme, the social part was perfect to really experience Ioannina, and the rooms were like seventh heaven compared to CD house!
For me, as this was my first Network travel and also my first time in Greece, the hospitality, friendliness, and of course the great food and weather refueled me so I came back with full energy to Brussels.
Thank you Ioannina, and you are more than deserving to be welcomed into the AEGEE family as a new Contact Antenna in Agora Budapest.
Written by Kathrin Renner, Comité Directeur