Last week, I visited Tokyo with two of my former colleagues whom I worked with for about 9 months in 2015 at a global public relations consultancy. Though all of us had left the company, we still keep in touch with each other and catch up periodically in the past two years.
Early this year, we proposed to travel together, because we didn’t have a chance to do so when we were working together. During our 3-day trip in Tokyo, we had a lot of fun by eating delicious Japanese food, shopping at the center of the city, visiting places of interest and challenging ultimate games in theme park. What’s more, we also shared personal concerns including career development, relationship status, and family issues, all of which makes us feel closer with deeper trust.
What makes it possible for us to get along so well? I think the foundation was laid during our time at the previous company. As a small team in a company serving clients in healthcare, we worked very hard and closely to accomplish every task. Sometimes we felt frustrated due to lack of ideas, and even had disagreements when doing strategic planning. But we never complained or blamed each other because we were quite aware that we shared the same objective to fulfill client’s requirements and expectations. I cannot remember how many nights we had spent together to working overtime in office, in cafes, in my apartment, and even in karaoke. I had never handled a heavy workload under so much stresses, but also with so much fun and love. After we left the company one after another, we promised each other to stay in touch. When I encounter problems or feel down in work and in life, I will ask them for advice, and they are always happy to offer help and comfort.
Every time we make a career change, we may become disappointed with the company and the boss, but we will always be reluctant to depart from the people with whom we’ve worked closely together. I try to stay in touch and maintain the relationship with most of my former colleagues, even though we do not work and live in the same city anymore. I believe some of them will be my lifelong friends because we have written one of the same life chapters, which will be a precious experience and unforgettable memory.