When in Cologne…
My flight just got in the German sky yesterday morning, and I was already on my laptop, acting geeky, starting that blog… Then, I got really emotional and decided to stop writing and waited till tonight to finish it.
Where can I start? How can I resume the entire weekend? I guess I’m going to just use a few words : Awesome, ISS House, Beer, Space Koelsh, Geeks, SOFIA…
I don’t really know where I’m going to start. I don’t really know what I’m going to say. And I am probably
going to forget a lot of things. But I know the emotions, the tears in the plane, the heartbreak when I said goodbye to Claudia, Marco, Joachim, Matthias, Alex, to just name a few… all of that is real and I’m not going to forget about that. I can’t forget about what happened that weekend, I might have forgotten about how many pictures or videos we took, but, even the Kölsch won’t make me forget about that truly wonderful weekend with wonderful people. So in the end, what happened in Cologne, Germany, during those three days? A lot happened there. Some stories are just too crazy to explain, others are just too personal to explain! And even if I tried to tell you what did happen, you would not be able to understand. You had to be there, you had to be with us to really know that feeling I have inside of me right now.When my sister asked me on the phone how it was, I couldn’t find a proper answer. All I told her is that I couldn’t explain it, she wasn’t there with us. It was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had. It was not just about meeting geeks from around the world, about having the chance to meet astronauts… It was more than that.
I did get the chance to talk with two of my heroes : the astronauts Mike Fincke and Samantha Cristoforetti. And I actually had the chance to booth a picture with Samantha I met so many amazing
people during three days, it would be crazy to try to say something about each one of them. And I’m sorry if I don’t mention you in that blog, it doesn’t mean that I didn’t like you, that you’re not in my heart, that you’re not part of my Space Family, or I don’t think about you! live from my laptop, and take another picture with Mike! I also was lucky enough to get into SOFIA’sheart, and have a tour to EAC (European Astronaut Center). And of course, other amazing stuff. I told you, I can’t really explain it…
First things first. I think I need to say an Awesome thank you to those amazing people working for ESA and DLR. “Those people”, Daniel, Henning, Erica, Andreas and so many more, they are just the most wonderful guys I’ve ever known in my life. And shedding a tear right now while I’m writing that explains how much I’m thankful for what they did for all of us during this entire weekend, and even before that. You guys, are awesome (of course) and it really was a pleasure to meet you! Do you think about the next Space Tweetup already? Because I do. And even if I don’t see you all ever again in my life, I will always think about you as the greatest, smartest, sweetest people on planet Earth.
Now the hardest part of that blog : talking about fifty nine people without making it too long. You are all #awesome! Meeting you all was amazing, and I am truly sorry if I didn’t hug all of you! I wanted to, I swear! I am glad my Space Hugs campaign was such a success.
Claudia, Matthias, John, Joachim, Marco, Alex, Remco, Eico, Karen, Martin, Arvid…. OMG, so many people to mention! Every each of you made my trip way worth it! I will never forget about what happened in Cologne with you folks. The beers, the food, the nerdy talks… and the most important the FUN! We are all different. Different ages, different lives, different jobs… But in the end, what brought the 60 of us in Cologne was that passion for space we have in common. Let’s face it, without that passion for Space, I would have probably never shared a drink at Em Ekchen with John and Matthias, or witnessed a wedding with Claudia. 
I would have certainly not boothed a photo with Arvid and Samantha Cristoforetti, and definitely not shared a sandwich with Martin while finding a way out of ESA’s buildings. And for sure, I would have never checked in the Erotik Shop with Karen and Rob, or start a random giant Hug with Christian! They say ordinary things can become extraordinary by doing them with the right people. It’s true. A hug, a sandwich, a beer, a bus ride… Everything became extraordinary because I had the right people with me to share those beautiful moments.
I love you so much. Every each of you. And I’m so sorry I didn’t talk more with some of you. Sorry I didn’t get the chance to know all your life stories… Saying something like that might sound silly but I truly mean it! I am really going to miss the Space Tweetupers, the people who got us all together, the hosts, the guests… Everyone. 
We all meet people in our life. The guy sitting next to you at the dentist waiting room, the woman and her child waiting behind you at the grocery store, that old man walking his dog in front of your house. Yes, we meet people everyday. And we forget about 90% of them. But being part of the Space Tweetup was more than meeting a hundred people and forgetting about them the next morning. My heart would not be that painful today if you were just random people I met at the mall! I learned a lot during this weekend, not only about space, but also about the human kind. And even if that blog can be a way to thank you, it will never tell you how grateful I am for being able to call all of you, since that weekend in Cologne, my friends.
(more photos on my Flickr)
That’s a beautiful post, and exactly how I feel too. So many awesome people! Thanks for putting it down in words.
Well, it’s 1:03 when i’m writing this. Still have some buzz in me from the weekend, even after 2×10 hour working days. Could not have written it better, not that I write that much mind you
That was a weekend I will also never ever forget! So thx for that and thx for writing this also. Let’s BeerUp somewhere sometime in the not to distant future!
a very touching post! thanks for being part of this great weekend & hope to see you soon.
Hai scritto una bellissima pagina di poesia dell’incontro, ti ho invidiata per quello che hai provato e perché io non ero presente. A me piace dire: voglio “spaziare” per non perdermi! e anche per incontrare persone come voi, come te. Felice poesia a te, Virginie. Alessandro
#spacetears !
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