They say joy comes from understanding that some of the best days of our lives haven’t happened yet. I always look forward to what is going to happen next, but I also like to be present in the moment.

Speaking about the “now” one week later is a bit funny though, but I guess I needed to let everything sink in before writing it down.

The best day of my life

I always thought that by the time I turned 30 I would either be married or have a child, however, life had different plans for me. One of these plans was to attend the best interview I could possibly dream of, at one of the best known places in the world: Buckingham Palace. To me, there cannot be a greater honor and a feeling of pride fills my mind every time I think about it.

Indecisive days

With lesser pride I must say this was not my first attempt to get to Buckingham Palace for this interview, but as it happens, dreams and reality don’t always coincide. Long story short, my first two attempts failed miserably: first time because of fear and personal limitations, second time, because of the worst day of my life so far. Even so, I guess everything happens for a reason.

The present

I must say that it was a wonderful surprise to receive the interview invitation on February the 14th, a day when most of us celebrate love in the most commercial way possible, with grand gestures, chocolates, alcohol and hearts everywhere. My present celebrated a different type of love, my love for London and one of its most powerful landmarks. This love started in the second grade and hasn’t ended since.

Don’t forget to breathe and get it over with

A week after a successful telephone screening, I packed a small bag and took a plane to London. For me, it’s never a bad time to get to London, even if for only 2 days . The weather was great, spring was already there, my friends were amazing as always, such a wonderful breath of not so fresh air. The first day ended with a great conversation of future plans, love, travelling and vegan cooking.

I don’t remember much about the morning before the interview, just that I was ironing my dress and jacket, trying everything on to make sure I was dressed for the occasion. Getting to Green Park happened faster than I imagined, so I found myself in front of Buckingham Palace 45 minutes earlier. The weather was typically British, a bit windy and cloudy, just enough to make me feel a bit uneasy, yet very aware of what was going on. I stood in front of the Queen Victoria Memorial for about 30 minutes, soaked in the hustle of the city, the London wind, the power and curiosity that came from the Palace.

Get past that small door and good luck with your interview!

I reached Buckingham’s Side Entrance, showed my IDs and the first guard directed me to the right place, wishing me good luck, with a smile on his face. After another few minuted of ID scanning and photo taking, I was told to turn off my phone and lock it until the interview was over, and took a seat in the reception area. The rest of the candidates started to show up and we realized we had so many things in common, even if we had very different backgrounds. I guess each of was a bit overwhelmed by the event, so being friendly calmed us down.

HR staff escorted us to the interview room. They were very accommodating and kind, explained everything to us and behaved in a very friendly manner, well aware that we were quite nervous and thrilled to be there. I walked in and couldn’t take my eyes off the chandeliers and paintings on the walls, the windows and the light, a truly unique moment.

The whole assessment lasted a bit over 3 hours, I got the chance to interact with some amazing people, I learned some cool Palace trivia (for instance: how many tickets do you think the Buckingham Palace sells in one seasons? I’ll tell you: millions ), a lot of job related details and the perks that come with it, and more importantly, the opportunities that this role can bring. We had assignments and role plays, we had uniform fittings, and in the end, each of was was invited to a one to one interview by a staff member.

“All good comes to he who waits”

After everything was over and I was escorted out, I felt like I was offered a truly unique experience, and regardless of the outcome, I am extremely happy to have been there. Like I said, words cannot describe how honored and grateful I am for this experience.

Share your best moment so far and don’t forget to Give. Take. Recreate.