The European Parliament is probably an institution with the biggest numbers of friendships at work. Why? One would say there is no other choice. Other would say there is a very clear choice.

At one point Belgians and other friends appeared but lion’s share of my friends were still about to pass by in my work corridors.

Coming to Brussels I knew no one, except someone I studied with and who was also working in the parliament. I started going out with very nice colleagues: easy-going, intelligent and open-minded. Lots to talk about. But you don’t really socialise with your colleagues, do you? Maybe in a coffee break but not after work?

At least that I used to think in Estonia where I found it too private to ask a colleague if she had a partner or not, not talking about asking how she spent her summer holiday! I was used to having a very clear line between work and life. There is work, there is life, not much in-between.

Here everything is different. In the first months I found myself mingling max 1 km from the European Parliament, sometimes even worse, inside the building! And of course, with my colleagues who introduced me to more colleagues and more colleagues. Even if they were from some other EU institution, I still felt they were my colleagues. It’s all one EU crowd working together in the adopted city.

At one point Belgians and other friends appeared but lion’s share of my friends were still about to pass by in my work corridors.

I must admit it was a bit scary to mix “business interests” with private life. Why should I challenge my friendships like that?! What comes if there is a conflict? Or maybe there will be a conflict only because of that – we are friends and we are colleagues?

I don’t know how you deal with it but at one point I just gave up “the Estonian thing” and talked openly with colleagues about my family back home and even introduced them my boyfriend at the time. Today, after few years working here, some of my very best friends are sitting just few meters of me in the neighbouring offices and it feels just alright.