It’s over, it’s done. The Eurovision Song Contest is officially over. Two weeks that actually felt like two months. Do you know that feeling of throwing yourself into something that’s so much bigger than yourself so you completely lose yourself in it? Something that quickly becomes your first thought when you wake up, and your very last just before you go to sleep? That feeling of togetherness and teamwork like you’ve never experienced before? That feeling that you couldn’t care less about what’s happening in the rest of the world and being blissfully unaware of it? That feeling of floating around in a wonderful bubble where every single person has exactly the same goal in mind? That feeling of strangers who turn into best friends after only two days and know exactly what you need when you have a hard time? That feeling of being completely destroyed physically while feeling on top of the world mentally? That, and so much more than that, is what Eurovision does to people.
I had to conclude that I did not even feel the same girl anymore as two weeks earlier
All of this makes that on Sunday, in the very early morning, exactly two weeks after arriving in Turin, I had to conclude that I did not even feel the same girl anymore as two weeks earlier. As if everything was different. I have grown so much, see things in a different light now and I even find myself thinking in new ways about choices that now await me.
But right here, on this place in my very own blog, I speak my truth when I say that, for me personally, Turin was ten times as beautiful as Rotterdam
In the past two weeks, many people asked me to compare the Eurovision Song Contest of Rotterdam with this year’s edition in Turin. Up until now, I have refrained from doing so, because it simply feels impossible to make a comparison. But right here, on this place in my very own blog, I speak my truth when I say that, for me personally, Turin was ten times as beautiful as Rotterdam. Because while Rotterdam had an organisation that ran as smooth as a military operation, Turin had the Italian passion. And the sweetest colleague who made lasagne for me like a true mamma before another long day. It had the stolen, quick hugs with the band members of Måneskin while they were surrounded by no less than eight security people because now, only a year after Rotterdam, they can hardly go anywhere without them. It had the emotional outbursts between us as colleagues that were completely new to me. But there was no outburst too serious that it couldn’t be fixed with having a Lavazza coffee together. Turin had the artists who stole all our hearts. Turin made me experience the jury final on Friday from the Green Room in a whirling arena. It had the spontaneous and sharp humour of show host Laura Pausini behind the scenes, and the “porca vacca!”. Turin made everyone constantly humming yet another Eurovision song, and clapping along, twerking, and repeating steps of the catchy dances. It had the physical contact: from warm hugs to an arm around your shoulder and from being greeted with two kisses to the sweaty hands of the artists who grabbed yours right before going on stage. It had the schedule that changed every single day so you were forced to just live the moment. Turin had the turquoise carpet ceremony in an Italian palazzo that effortlessly rivalled the Palace of Versailles. It had the podcasts with a national Dutch news outlet that made me speak about my adventures with an unstoppable enthusiasm. But it also had endless drama: from a heavy camera that threatened to crash into the audience during the live show to a singer with outbursts of anger that sent the international gossip machine into overdrive. But according to good Italian practice, everything always ended up back on its feet and issues were resolved right in time and with lots of creativity. Turin had the WhatsApp group with colleagues that never, ever stopped, and where we found ourselves communicating in song lyrics at one point. Turin was cracking jokes with the cameramen when I sat as a stand-in in the green room during endless rehearsals of the giving scores. It was the sheer frustration you felt when you were told you had an afternoon or evening off, because you never really wanted to be off at all. Turin was royal elegance and the most stunning cafés. And finally, it was the dancing until the sun came up after the final Saturday night. So, I think there’s only one conclusion that can be drawn; no matter how chaotic the Italian Eurovision edition was described by the press, there was one thing nobody could possibly deny: in Turin, an unstoppable passion for life, music, and love flowed through all of our veins.
And then to think that, only a few weeks ago, I still had big doubts about whether it was the right thing to get on that train to Turin…
I’m honest when I say that I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. And then to think that, only a few weeks ago, I still had big doubts about whether it was the right thing to get on that train to Turin…
A really beautiful account of your experience there. Beautiful memories created. ❤❤❤