Dear Ladies,
After a very enjoyable year with so many activities and such lovely time spent together, these blue skies and the warmth of the shining sun means we are closer to the summer vacation.

Looking back, I believe that together we have been able to reach out to those in need by supporting a local charity dedicated to disabled children, collecting for De Stobbe, as well as supporting the much larger NATO Charity Bazaar. This might seem like a small achievement but we should not forget that each charity makes a difference in many people’s lives and it was only possible because of the enthusiasm, generosity and sincere friendships that are backbone of our team.

By the way, we also had a lot of fun together visiting cultural landmarks in Belgium, walking the forests, playing games, cooking (and eating…) together and learning useful languages and science skills.

My most heartfelt thanks go to all the activity leaders who have tirelessly dedicated their time and knowledge to our members thus making our community a vibrant and dynamic one.

We have welcomed many new friends during these past months but, sadly, we now have to say goodbye to some of us moving back to our Countries or elsewhere in the world; we will all miss you a lot and please try to stay in touch as much as you can.

A special thank you to:
 Caroline and Gabi for being very patient and passionate teachers of the fascinating French and German languages, you made your guests feel at ease around your tables;
 Jo for her creativity and editing expertise with designing and crafting our Newsletters these past two years; and
 Emma for being such a supportive member and lovely hostess by graciously opening her home and coordinating during the past four years, innumerable Coffee Mornings, Cook With Me, Mah Jongg and Recipe Exchange group activities! We were sometimes rather messy but we were always warmly welcomed.

Personally, I will also miss you as regulars at my burraco mornings!

So, dear friends, get ready to make the most of the coming summer holidays and family time but do not forget that the NIC will be waiting for your return, in September.

Have a lovely summer and see you all soon.

Carla