About 20 years ago, a motivated crowd of young AIESECers met in Austria, in the middle of nowhere. For some new members, it was their first motivational seminar – an induction conference. For others, it was a chance to prove their leadership skills as LC-EB or MC members.

20 years on, with most of the attendees in their forties, it seemed like a good idea to repeat this event. Some 50-odd senior AIESECers came together at the same venue to reconnect. Many of the attendees had not seen each other for over 15 years.

The seminar was a mix of expertly delivered sessions and opportunities to socialize and catch up while enjoying nature and partying a lot.

Some of the attendees brought their family members (including non-AIESECers), and the culture shock could be relived. People shared their life stories, how they had implemented what they had learned in AIESEC, the impact they had had, and challenges they had overcome.

The attendees brought their favorite books about life advice. These were exchanged as presents. Our PAAI, Alexander Tichy, who had the honor of chairing this seminar, brought one of his favorite books: “The art of loving” by Erich Fromm.