Dear friends, I wanted to share with you the perfect goodbye song. But wait, let’s start from the beginning.

It was my friend Sasha who introduced me to Pink Martini back when we were living in Budapest. It’s no coincidence that since then, Sasha has become a highly successful balboa dancer, and Pink Martini has become one of my favorite bands.

There have only been two times in my life when through sheer determination and luck I managed to get to the front of a huge crowd. The night night when I first saw Pink Martini in concert was one of them. I literally bulldozed through to get us to the stage. I did not care, and it was totally worth it.

You had to be there to see China Forbes, the lead singer, in action. There was this woman on the stage – dressed quite modestly, in a long dress with long sleeves – and she would raise her arm and the crowd would just go mad. So much energy, sensuality, and joy were coming through this woman, her voice, and the music.

Pink Martini played in Houston last fall, and unfortunately the Houston Symphony location was too formal for the band and their music. You could not dance. The vibe was still there, but it was not the same without a dancefloor.

It was at the Houston concert where I first heard Dosvedanya Mio Bombino. I immediately thought that if I ever needed a goodbye song, this would be the one.

And now I have the perfect occasion – and the perfect song, classy, friendly, cheerful, and with a bit of Russian and Italian thrown in.

Turning a page. Closing a chapter. Welcoming the new and exciting. Do svidanya.