This surreal feeling is settling around me right now.
I've turned in my final exam for the week, officially concluding my first semester at Darden. All that stands between me and my vacation is figuring out what needs to go into my suitcase before I take off tomorrow!
My roommate left town about half an hour ago. I find it funny how in such a short time span, we've gone from stranger-showing-up-on-the-doorstep to sharing everything we've shared all semester. It's weird that I won't see her for a month! On the same vein, I am finding it weird to reflect on the amazing friendships that have developed with people who I coordinated U2 tickets with prior to Darden, people who showed up my first day here offering to help move my furniture across the very large apartment complex and people who came up and say hi because they also liked road trips.
Anyway, I could reflect on all that, but we'll all be back together for more adventures next semester. For now, I get to look forward to hanging out with old friends and family. Sisters who I shared a cross-country adventure with just four months ago, a friend who I was randomly assigned to the same project with in undergrad, and friends that I've known so long I can't even remember how we met.
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Friday, December 11, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Could that be a light?
At the end of the tunnel, that is...
Black November has been everything it was promised to be. It isn't the case load for me. School is challenging, but in a way that makes me thrive and excited about solving the challenges.
It's everything else on top of school. The resume drop deadling is quickly approaching: December 4. Despite my best intents, my cover letter still lies in its first draft form on my desk. There are networking calls and emails that need to be done, and plans for the job trek I am leading to Toronto are taking a long time to take shape.
There are three things that are keeping me going right now. First, I have amazing support. There's the first wave of friends who are here and struggling as much as me. We all have different strengths, and help each other in whatever way we can. While I may be sitting down with someone to talk through accounting concepts, someone else will be taking the time to help me find a contact or run through practice case interviews. And on top of all that, I have great people here who will talk me through whatever I am struggling with. The friendships I have developed are open and honest. And, on top of that, I've got good support back home, with friends and family who are not going through all this and are cheering from the sidelines.
Second, I know that every second year student I have talked to has made it through this time. And every alum who went before them. Yes, Darden is tough, but everyone survives and comes out a better person for going going through it.
And finally... perhaps most importantly... I realized yesterday that in just three weeks, I'll be in Toronto. Resumes will have been dropped, Q2 exams will have been written. I'll see one of my best friends and spend a week talking to companies on the Toronto Job Trek. And in four weeks, I'll be home, with nothing to stress about but interview prep and trying to fit everything in. From the looks of Facebook, there is snow back home, too!
So, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. But in the meantime, I have my Thanksgiving trip to look forward to. It's a testament to the craziness of Darden that I haven't mentioned or even really thought about the fact that I'm flying to Munich, Germany, to see my sister in just two short days! And when I get back, it will be right at the end of Black November.
And I will join the ranks of those who have survived.
Black November has been everything it was promised to be. It isn't the case load for me. School is challenging, but in a way that makes me thrive and excited about solving the challenges.
It's everything else on top of school. The resume drop deadling is quickly approaching: December 4. Despite my best intents, my cover letter still lies in its first draft form on my desk. There are networking calls and emails that need to be done, and plans for the job trek I am leading to Toronto are taking a long time to take shape.
There are three things that are keeping me going right now. First, I have amazing support. There's the first wave of friends who are here and struggling as much as me. We all have different strengths, and help each other in whatever way we can. While I may be sitting down with someone to talk through accounting concepts, someone else will be taking the time to help me find a contact or run through practice case interviews. And on top of all that, I have great people here who will talk me through whatever I am struggling with. The friendships I have developed are open and honest. And, on top of that, I've got good support back home, with friends and family who are not going through all this and are cheering from the sidelines.
Second, I know that every second year student I have talked to has made it through this time. And every alum who went before them. Yes, Darden is tough, but everyone survives and comes out a better person for going going through it.
And finally... perhaps most importantly... I realized yesterday that in just three weeks, I'll be in Toronto. Resumes will have been dropped, Q2 exams will have been written. I'll see one of my best friends and spend a week talking to companies on the Toronto Job Trek. And in four weeks, I'll be home, with nothing to stress about but interview prep and trying to fit everything in. From the looks of Facebook, there is snow back home, too!
So, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. But in the meantime, I have my Thanksgiving trip to look forward to. It's a testament to the craziness of Darden that I haven't mentioned or even really thought about the fact that I'm flying to Munich, Germany, to see my sister in just two short days! And when I get back, it will be right at the end of Black November.
And I will join the ranks of those who have survived.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Breaks are Imperative
For the past two and a half days, I've had a friend visiting. From the time I left to pick her up from the Richmond airport on Thursday afternoon until this morning (Sunday) when I pulled out my laptop to work on the cases for tomorrow, I have not done any work for school. I've had conversations that did not revolve around debits, credits, cannibalization ratios and Crystal Ball*. On top of all these perks, it's been great to catch up with someone that I've known for years and get outside of the MBA bubble a little. I have also appreciated sharing my new town and took Mary to TNDC, Arch's, Bodo's Bagels, the Downtown Mall and Shenandoah National Park.
This morning when I sat down to start work on cases again, I felt refreshed. I didn't come to them with the same drudgery which had been building up over the previous weeks. I was actually kind of excited about tackling the new DA (Decision Analysis) case.
So the moral of the story is that breaks are really necessary for survival. I know there are a lot of people who don't think Christmas is all that far away, so they can just slug it out until then. But I think that when we lose our drive and our focus, we miss out on the whole MBA experience. Sometimes the most beneficial thing we can do, in terms of studying and the job search, is to just not do it and go do something else.
Anyway, all that said, I do still have three cases to prep for tomorrow, a resume to finish and an application to fill out... So I will end it here.
*Crystal Ball is a program that works with Excel to predict an expected result for a formula based on providing a range of assumptions for the values of the inputs to that formula. For an overly simplistic example, assume I assign cell A1 to be equal to A2 + A3. While I may think A2 will equal 1 and A3 will equal 3, A2 could be anything from 0 to 4, and A3 will most likely be 3 with a minimum of 2 and maximum of 8. Crystal Ball will then do a series of trials (I usually have it set a 250,000!) to tell you what the average of all the results will be. It also spits out some pretty graphs and gives you some useful reports.
This morning when I sat down to start work on cases again, I felt refreshed. I didn't come to them with the same drudgery which had been building up over the previous weeks. I was actually kind of excited about tackling the new DA (Decision Analysis) case.
So the moral of the story is that breaks are really necessary for survival. I know there are a lot of people who don't think Christmas is all that far away, so they can just slug it out until then. But I think that when we lose our drive and our focus, we miss out on the whole MBA experience. Sometimes the most beneficial thing we can do, in terms of studying and the job search, is to just not do it and go do something else.
Anyway, all that said, I do still have three cases to prep for tomorrow, a resume to finish and an application to fill out... So I will end it here.
*Crystal Ball is a program that works with Excel to predict an expected result for a formula based on providing a range of assumptions for the values of the inputs to that formula. For an overly simplistic example, assume I assign cell A1 to be equal to A2 + A3. While I may think A2 will equal 1 and A3 will equal 3, A2 could be anything from 0 to 4, and A3 will most likely be 3 with a minimum of 2 and maximum of 8. Crystal Ball will then do a series of trials (I usually have it set a 250,000!) to tell you what the average of all the results will be. It also spits out some pretty graphs and gives you some useful reports.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
"Trust the Process"
Calculating cannibalization break-even rates in Marketing today, I realized that I am learning something here. The week has gone up and down in terms of my coping and frustration levels. There are days when I wonder why I gave up a salary, free time and left all my friends behind in Edmonton. Today was not one of those days. Going through our marketing case, I experienced the very tangible feeling that I was Learning.
"Trust the process" is a phrase that becomes ingrained in everyone who has anything to do with Darden. I do not always Trust the process. There are days, like yesterday, where I Loathe the process. To avoid rattling off my day, I will just reiterate that we are given approximately 130% of what we can actually accomplish. But the reinforcement process is so valuable. By the time I am sitting in class, I've already gone through a case on my own and dissected it with my learning team. Amazingly enough, there are STILL things left to learn in class. And it's during class, when you get those "Ah-hah!" moments, that you realize this is all worthwhile.
"Trust the process" is a phrase that becomes ingrained in everyone who has anything to do with Darden. I do not always Trust the process. There are days, like yesterday, where I Loathe the process. To avoid rattling off my day, I will just reiterate that we are given approximately 130% of what we can actually accomplish. But the reinforcement process is so valuable. By the time I am sitting in class, I've already gone through a case on my own and dissected it with my learning team. Amazingly enough, there are STILL things left to learn in class. And it's during class, when you get those "Ah-hah!" moments, that you realize this is all worthwhile.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Triumph: No Tears
If I stopped to think about it, this past week would have been quite emotional. Instead, I planned a big goodbye/birthday party in a few weeks to stave off all the sad goodbyes and got to enjoy these last few evenings hanging out with friends. I very nearly got choked up at work when one of my co-workers (lovingly) said, "I still hate you for leaving," then gave me a big hug. I think one of the huge privileges of my (now old) job was that I got to work in so many areas, and I was given licence to really change things. A lot of times, when you are working in the day-to-day toil of a job, you don't take the time to step back and look at the big picture of what you have accomplished. But reading the messages in the goodbye cards was really encouraging. If only there was a way that I could just slip that in with my resume come internship-hunting time...
Of course, I got another kind of goodbye card. This one was filled with woman jokes, but all in good fun, of course. My favourite part was that on the front it said "To Julie, From Anonomys." After that, there were a few references to the subpar intelligence of females. ;-) (And if you do happen to read this, you-know-who-you-are, I do not think YOUR intelligence is subpar, just that your grammar is.)
The day ended with two very positive notes. One is that I got to say a "hello" for the first time all week and hang out with my friend who just got back from travelling in Europe for over three months. The second is that I got to chat with my sister who was gone all week doing soccer camps.
Of course, I got another kind of goodbye card. This one was filled with woman jokes, but all in good fun, of course. My favourite part was that on the front it said "To Julie, From Anonomys." After that, there were a few references to the subpar intelligence of females. ;-) (And if you do happen to read this, you-know-who-you-are, I do not think YOUR intelligence is subpar, just that your grammar is.)
The day ended with two very positive notes. One is that I got to say a "hello" for the first time all week and hang out with my friend who just got back from travelling in Europe for over three months. The second is that I got to chat with my sister who was gone all week doing soccer camps.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
A Thank You, Feeding the Homeless and Can I Stay in my 20s Forever?
Tonight was a great evening.
First off, I want to thank the nice young lady who gave me a loonie to plug the parking meter. She was walking down the street with big, huge headphones on, and actually stopped and pulled them off when I said, "excuse me." When I asked if she had change for a ten, she just gave me a loonie so I could get enough time to head into the City Centre mall to meet my friend for half an hour. So, thank you. And I promise I will pay it forward.
Once in the mall, I ran to meet up with a friend to finish up some power shopping before we had to meet some other people a little further away from downtown. Now, for some time, I've been looking to replace my basic brown pumps (which got nasty salty snow dripped all over them thanks to the lazy guy who couldn't be bothered to shovel the walk) and my black pumps (the lifts were gone, and while I could replace them, they never really fit anyway). On a whim, I popped into Nine West, and guess what? Black and brown pumps... on sale... 70% off.
See, I hate buying cheap shoes. But I'm too poor (hello MBA tuition bill) to shell out money for good shoes. The compromise is that I've learned where to buy the good shoes for insane-percent-off. So, without a stressful shopping trip spent searching for shoes, I found both in five minutes.
Fast forward to sitting on the patio at Famoso with some more friends. Eating Neapolitan-style pizza and sipping Pinot Grigio, which is the only type of wine that I absolutely love. Since it's downtown, there are always characters around. As we are eating, this homeless man comes over, opens the plastic pane separating us from him and starts to ask if we've seen his car keys around. Apparently this man is a regular, since our server comes over and says "okay, Wayne, it's time to go." Our server started to close the plastic pane, and Wayne pushed back, and we all felt a little awkward, wondering whether we were supposed to watch or just resume our conversation.
Wayne goes away, but is back a few minutes later. In between, two girls had sat down at the table beside us. When our server came to ask Wayne to leave, the girl at the other table asked if she could give him some of her food. The server said no, since he was disturbing the guests, and the girl sarcastically replied, "yeah, we wouldn't want to feed the hungry." (She wouldn't let up... The server said, "he's reached in and taken food off plates before," and she retorted "you take people's plates off the table." While I appreciated her sentiments, I did want to kick her in the teeth.)
The first thought that immediately came to mind was the comparison between not feeding wild animals in parks. And when that thought hit, I was immediately confronted with the gap between rich and poor in our society. I don't tend to think of myself as rich, but being on the inside of that very physical barrier, treating Wayne almost as an animal, hit like a ton of bricks. I am so blessed with what I have. I would love to say that I went after dinner, gave him some food and got him off the street, but in reality I felt more comfortable after he left. It's all too easy to contribute to charitable organizations on a regular basis and then do our best to ignore people in need. And, again, I wish I could say something more noble, but I do wonder how best to contribute to social justice in society.
And, now that this is getting long, I just want to close with one thought: Can I just stay in my 20s forever? I love evenings on the patio, talking to friends who are between undergrad and graduate degrees, and sharing stories of new jobs and vacations. It was the last visit that we'll have for quite some time, as I am off to Virginia in a few weeks for my MBA, and another friend is heading back to law school.
First off, I want to thank the nice young lady who gave me a loonie to plug the parking meter. She was walking down the street with big, huge headphones on, and actually stopped and pulled them off when I said, "excuse me." When I asked if she had change for a ten, she just gave me a loonie so I could get enough time to head into the City Centre mall to meet my friend for half an hour. So, thank you. And I promise I will pay it forward.
Once in the mall, I ran to meet up with a friend to finish up some power shopping before we had to meet some other people a little further away from downtown. Now, for some time, I've been looking to replace my basic brown pumps (which got nasty salty snow dripped all over them thanks to the lazy guy who couldn't be bothered to shovel the walk) and my black pumps (the lifts were gone, and while I could replace them, they never really fit anyway). On a whim, I popped into Nine West, and guess what? Black and brown pumps... on sale... 70% off.
See, I hate buying cheap shoes. But I'm too poor (hello MBA tuition bill) to shell out money for good shoes. The compromise is that I've learned where to buy the good shoes for insane-percent-off. So, without a stressful shopping trip spent searching for shoes, I found both in five minutes.
Fast forward to sitting on the patio at Famoso with some more friends. Eating Neapolitan-style pizza and sipping Pinot Grigio, which is the only type of wine that I absolutely love. Since it's downtown, there are always characters around. As we are eating, this homeless man comes over, opens the plastic pane separating us from him and starts to ask if we've seen his car keys around. Apparently this man is a regular, since our server comes over and says "okay, Wayne, it's time to go." Our server started to close the plastic pane, and Wayne pushed back, and we all felt a little awkward, wondering whether we were supposed to watch or just resume our conversation.
Wayne goes away, but is back a few minutes later. In between, two girls had sat down at the table beside us. When our server came to ask Wayne to leave, the girl at the other table asked if she could give him some of her food. The server said no, since he was disturbing the guests, and the girl sarcastically replied, "yeah, we wouldn't want to feed the hungry." (She wouldn't let up... The server said, "he's reached in and taken food off plates before," and she retorted "you take people's plates off the table." While I appreciated her sentiments, I did want to kick her in the teeth.)
The first thought that immediately came to mind was the comparison between not feeding wild animals in parks. And when that thought hit, I was immediately confronted with the gap between rich and poor in our society. I don't tend to think of myself as rich, but being on the inside of that very physical barrier, treating Wayne almost as an animal, hit like a ton of bricks. I am so blessed with what I have. I would love to say that I went after dinner, gave him some food and got him off the street, but in reality I felt more comfortable after he left. It's all too easy to contribute to charitable organizations on a regular basis and then do our best to ignore people in need. And, again, I wish I could say something more noble, but I do wonder how best to contribute to social justice in society.
And, now that this is getting long, I just want to close with one thought: Can I just stay in my 20s forever? I love evenings on the patio, talking to friends who are between undergrad and graduate degrees, and sharing stories of new jobs and vacations. It was the last visit that we'll have for quite some time, as I am off to Virginia in a few weeks for my MBA, and another friend is heading back to law school.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Mundane Night
Here's a tip for all my fellow blogging friends: don't assume that people don't read your blog.
Tonight I was sitting in O'Byrne's, an Irish pub on Whyte Ave. (which is kind of the hip, trendy neighbourhood that every city has, but I can't compare it to anything besides Calgary's Kensington) My friend leans over and says:
"You didn't tell me at supper yesterday that you got your loans in place! And why did you call the evening mundane?"
So I explained to her that it wasn't the evening that was mundane, more that I didn't think the people in India who read my blog would be particularly fascinated by the fact that I spent an hour in MAC yesterday doing my bridesmaid duties in memorizing the instructions for my bride-to-be friend.
A few years ago, I took a creative non-fiction writing class, and the big challenge in writing non-fiction is extrapolating from your own life experiences and writing something that is of value to someone else. I do try to keep that in mind when I am blogging, since there is no point in writing something for others to read if I am not adding any value for the time they spend reading. When I write about Darden details, it's because I know there may be people a year from now who find themselves in the same position as me and looking for some support. (I'll confess, I went back and read the archives of the Darden student bloggers when I was first accepted, hoping to scrounge up any useful information! And to get excited about what was coming...)
So when I write "this is what I did this evening..." I do apologize because I haven't figured out what value it adds. But, this evening I was reflecting on the beauty of friendship and communication. My bride friend is in town from China, on her way to her new home in Iowa. We've pretty much talked daily on MSN over the three years she's been gone, thanks to a time difference that has her on lunch break right before my bedtime. And as awesome as it is to actually be sitting and talking face-to-face, it doesn't feel weird or abnormal. I love friendships like that. You can live on almost the opposite side of the world, but pick up right where you've left off when you do see each other. That is really encouraging to me, as the reality of the rest of my life is that there will be people I love who live far away.
And if my other good friend or sister who are in Europe happen to read this, I'm looking forward to talking to you face-to-face as well in just a few short weeks!
Tonight I was sitting in O'Byrne's, an Irish pub on Whyte Ave. (which is kind of the hip, trendy neighbourhood that every city has, but I can't compare it to anything besides Calgary's Kensington) My friend leans over and says:
"You didn't tell me at supper yesterday that you got your loans in place! And why did you call the evening mundane?"
So I explained to her that it wasn't the evening that was mundane, more that I didn't think the people in India who read my blog would be particularly fascinated by the fact that I spent an hour in MAC yesterday doing my bridesmaid duties in memorizing the instructions for my bride-to-be friend.
A few years ago, I took a creative non-fiction writing class, and the big challenge in writing non-fiction is extrapolating from your own life experiences and writing something that is of value to someone else. I do try to keep that in mind when I am blogging, since there is no point in writing something for others to read if I am not adding any value for the time they spend reading. When I write about Darden details, it's because I know there may be people a year from now who find themselves in the same position as me and looking for some support. (I'll confess, I went back and read the archives of the Darden student bloggers when I was first accepted, hoping to scrounge up any useful information! And to get excited about what was coming...)
So when I write "this is what I did this evening..." I do apologize because I haven't figured out what value it adds. But, this evening I was reflecting on the beauty of friendship and communication. My bride friend is in town from China, on her way to her new home in Iowa. We've pretty much talked daily on MSN over the three years she's been gone, thanks to a time difference that has her on lunch break right before my bedtime. And as awesome as it is to actually be sitting and talking face-to-face, it doesn't feel weird or abnormal. I love friendships like that. You can live on almost the opposite side of the world, but pick up right where you've left off when you do see each other. That is really encouraging to me, as the reality of the rest of my life is that there will be people I love who live far away.
And if my other good friend or sister who are in Europe happen to read this, I'm looking forward to talking to you face-to-face as well in just a few short weeks!
Monday, July 06, 2009
All Smiles Today
One of the last of my biggest stressors finally came into place today... I was approved for my loan! Yes, I know, this detail should have been ironed out back in May, but I've been investigating multiple options and finally took the plunge. Anyway, prior to today, there was always a small fear in the back of my mind that everything wouldn't work out and I would end up jobless and homeless at the end of July. But it's all come together and now it really feels like a reality. If only I could sell my car, I would be able to just kick back and relax for the next month... (I probably will anyway, to be honest.)
And then I got home and there was a nice, big, friendly package from Darden waiting on the mail counter. It was filled with all sorts of welcome letters from faculty, students and support staff. It reminded me of the summer before Grade 7, when I pored over all the information from my junior high school. I will admit there are a few readings that look more like work than welcome letters, but I guess I can suck it up and read them while in a plane or car sometime over the next few weeks.
It will probably take some time, but I'm starting to realize that I'm headed off to a world-class institution. In Canada, there may be a few schools that stand out, but in general our public universities are all at the same level. (And a pretty good one, at that!) But in the US, it seems that a few really rise to the top. And I'm just excited, as I've mentioned dozens of times already, about being a part of Darden and the University of Virginia.
In other mundane news, I am flying to Iowa to be a bridesmaid for one of my best friends in about two weeks. She was living in China for a few years and will be moving to Iowa where her fiance is, BUT she is in Edmonton this week. After being pretty much off the hook for bridesmaid responsibilities all year (save trying on dresses and sending the pics to China and sending a fabric swatch to the florist), it was super fun to go shopping this evening and spend time at MAC getting ideas for eye makeup and all that stuff. As many of my friends in Edmonton are already married and starting families (which, don't get me wrong, is a really exciting stage in life), I am really looking forward (and hoping!) to develop some more friendships with other single girls at Darden next year. The agenda for the rest of the week includes drinks on a patio tomorrow (yes, it's a summer theme here. The summer lasts for precisely nine days or so, and I aim to spend some time on each of those days on a patio. Before you go look up Edmonton weather on Wikipedia to prove me wrong, I'll just let you know that the nine days of summer in Edmonton aren't actually consecutive.), bridesmaid dress fitting, and who knows what else?
And finally, if you are still reading, I officially gave my two week notice today. Since I have discovered since my last post about work that some of my co-workers DO read my blog, I just wanted to say that yes, I will miss you! And the Company and all the challenges that I have conquered... or starting conquering... or failed miserably at and learned good lesssons from...
And then I got home and there was a nice, big, friendly package from Darden waiting on the mail counter. It was filled with all sorts of welcome letters from faculty, students and support staff. It reminded me of the summer before Grade 7, when I pored over all the information from my junior high school. I will admit there are a few readings that look more like work than welcome letters, but I guess I can suck it up and read them while in a plane or car sometime over the next few weeks.
It will probably take some time, but I'm starting to realize that I'm headed off to a world-class institution. In Canada, there may be a few schools that stand out, but in general our public universities are all at the same level. (And a pretty good one, at that!) But in the US, it seems that a few really rise to the top. And I'm just excited, as I've mentioned dozens of times already, about being a part of Darden and the University of Virginia.
In other mundane news, I am flying to Iowa to be a bridesmaid for one of my best friends in about two weeks. She was living in China for a few years and will be moving to Iowa where her fiance is, BUT she is in Edmonton this week. After being pretty much off the hook for bridesmaid responsibilities all year (save trying on dresses and sending the pics to China and sending a fabric swatch to the florist), it was super fun to go shopping this evening and spend time at MAC getting ideas for eye makeup and all that stuff. As many of my friends in Edmonton are already married and starting families (which, don't get me wrong, is a really exciting stage in life), I am really looking forward (and hoping!) to develop some more friendships with other single girls at Darden next year. The agenda for the rest of the week includes drinks on a patio tomorrow (yes, it's a summer theme here. The summer lasts for precisely nine days or so, and I aim to spend some time on each of those days on a patio. Before you go look up Edmonton weather on Wikipedia to prove me wrong, I'll just let you know that the nine days of summer in Edmonton aren't actually consecutive.), bridesmaid dress fitting, and who knows what else?
And finally, if you are still reading, I officially gave my two week notice today. Since I have discovered since my last post about work that some of my co-workers DO read my blog, I just wanted to say that yes, I will miss you! And the Company and all the challenges that I have conquered... or starting conquering... or failed miserably at and learned good lesssons from...
Thursday, June 04, 2009
What I'll Miss About Edmonton
Several of my fellow classmates-to-be at Darden have done blog posts on what they will miss from where they live now. As I am currently attempting to settle into my temporary home (difficult since it is occupied by the stuff that belongs to my sister living in Germany), and starting to realize just how quickly the weeks are zipping by, it seems like an appropriate time to reflect. I also think it is important since I am really excited about the next chapter of my life, but I also need to make sure that I am fully here for the next 8 weeks and 2 days.
- Let's get the obvious out of the way: free time and a pay cheque. Full-time study at the most intense first year MBA program doesn't really create either of those in abundance. I am most going to miss having a whole free evening that I can get in a run, catch up on email, watch my favourite TV show, read a book AND talk to good friends on the phone.
- Snow at Christmas: I love the snow in December, and while C'ville DOES get snow, it doesn't generally stick around long. (Disclaimer: I will not miss snow on the May long weekend.)
- Not just friends, but friends with whom I have a long history. I love that my friends know me and all my quirks, which buttons to push (and not push!), and even the fact that I always bring a shrimp ring whenever bringing an appetizer is required. There's something so comforting about being with people who already know the gist of you. You can just hang out and be yourself. That said, I'm wondering which parts of me to "re-invent". You know... maybe I'll be the girl who always brings carrot sticks to parties next year. I will also miss my friends individually, each for different reasons, which I could probably write several blogs about, but I won't. Just know that I am very thankful for Skype, and for the promises you've made to come visit!
- Family. I've got one sister who loves to travel and live exciting places, so we've got long-distance sisterhood down. The rest of my family has always been nearby, and I'll miss seeing them regularly. Family is something you always take for granted, but realize how important when you are far away. I'll miss the good laughs, board games and just general support.
- Knowing my way around the city. I've been driving in Edmonton for nearly 12 years, and I pretty much know where everything is, what the best way is to get there and when to be in which lane.
- River Valley... Edmonton has a gorgeous river valley! I don't think C'ville has a river at all.
- My church. It has the BEST music that I've ever experienced at a church, and I'm keeping my expectations for church music in C'ville relatively low.
Okay, so I could try and write down more Edmonton-specific things, but the truth is that what has made Edmonton special over the years has been people more than places or perks. The Edmonton things I will probably discover more as I live in C'ville. (Though I could add anything "big city" to the list: nice movie theatres, abundance of shopping, etc.)
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Let It Go...
Yesterday was a very frustrating day. To make a long story short, I got stuck doing a lot of IT stuff and felt in over my head. (I'm not an IT person... I dropped out of computing science 8 years ago so I wouldn't become an IT person, but I still know too much about computers since I grew up with them in the house as my mother is a computer programmer.) And I was at work late, staring at my computer screen getting frustrated. When that happens, I just start to feel frustrated about everything...
As I stared at my computer screen, all I could think of was that I wanted to be running through the river valley. So, when I wrapped things up and gave up for the night, that's precisely what I did.
As I was running, a song called "Daisy" by the band Switchfoot came on my iPod. As I was listening to it, I felt an immense rush of peace, and wanted to share the lyrics:
Daisy, give yourself away
Lookup at the rain
The beautiful display
Of power and surrender
Giving us today
And she gives herself away
Rain, another rainy day
Comes up from the ocean
Give herself away
She comes down easy
On rich and debt the same
And she gives herself away
Let it go
Daisy, Let it go
Open up your fist
This fallen world
Doesn't hold your interest
It doesn't hold your soul
Daisy, let it go
Pain, give yourself a name
Call yourself contrition
Avarice or blame
Giving isn't easy
Neither is the rain
When she gives herself away
Daisy, why another day?
Why another sunrise
Who will take the blame
For all redemptive motion
And every rainy day
When he gives himself away
--------------------
I don't spend enough time surrendering. I get frustrated at work because I expect myself to have all the answers right away. But they take time, and often the input of someone else with a slightly different skill set to shed a new perspective. I get frustrated with life because I expect it to fall in place the way I see it, rather than trusting God's plan and His direction.
One thing that I always need to remember is to just "let it go." Nothing that happens on a daily basis is going to shatter my life. When I get wound up, it only makes things worse. If I want to release the stress, I just need to "open up [my] fists." I get so caught up thinking that it's success and accomplishments that matter in life, when really they are far down the list of what TRULY matters. It's easy to get caught up in what is tangible and easy to measure and let the things that truly matter - my faith, my family, relationships, serving others - slip.
But if I can learn to let go of this obsessive drive for success and instead learn to, as one of my good friends always tells me, "breathe and let God do the rest," I think I will have fewer frustrating days.
As I stared at my computer screen, all I could think of was that I wanted to be running through the river valley. So, when I wrapped things up and gave up for the night, that's precisely what I did.
As I was running, a song called "Daisy" by the band Switchfoot came on my iPod. As I was listening to it, I felt an immense rush of peace, and wanted to share the lyrics:
Daisy, give yourself away
Lookup at the rain
The beautiful display
Of power and surrender
Giving us today
And she gives herself away
Rain, another rainy day
Comes up from the ocean
Give herself away
She comes down easy
On rich and debt the same
And she gives herself away
Let it go
Daisy, Let it go
Open up your fist
This fallen world
Doesn't hold your interest
It doesn't hold your soul
Daisy, let it go
Pain, give yourself a name
Call yourself contrition
Avarice or blame
Giving isn't easy
Neither is the rain
When she gives herself away
Daisy, why another day?
Why another sunrise
Who will take the blame
For all redemptive motion
And every rainy day
When he gives himself away
--------------------
I don't spend enough time surrendering. I get frustrated at work because I expect myself to have all the answers right away. But they take time, and often the input of someone else with a slightly different skill set to shed a new perspective. I get frustrated with life because I expect it to fall in place the way I see it, rather than trusting God's plan and His direction.
One thing that I always need to remember is to just "let it go." Nothing that happens on a daily basis is going to shatter my life. When I get wound up, it only makes things worse. If I want to release the stress, I just need to "open up [my] fists." I get so caught up thinking that it's success and accomplishments that matter in life, when really they are far down the list of what TRULY matters. It's easy to get caught up in what is tangible and easy to measure and let the things that truly matter - my faith, my family, relationships, serving others - slip.
But if I can learn to let go of this obsessive drive for success and instead learn to, as one of my good friends always tells me, "breathe and let God do the rest," I think I will have fewer frustrating days.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Leaving
For a long time, I've been counting down the time until my big move to Virginia. Tonight was the first time that all the implications of leaving really set in.
It's ironic... Today one of the current Darden students posted a link to a YouTube video from Darden Follies entitled "Don't Make Me Leave Darden" on Twitter. (PS I am on Twitter... @missjoolz) I've had it stuck in my head ever since watching it and it feels very weird. It's gotten me to thinking about why I'm doing this whole MBA thing. I'm not a fool; I know the economy is terrible right now. The main reason for getting an MBA is to break into management consulting, and the job market is not going to make that an easy transition!
Then I went for a run this evening. As I was running through the river valley, I was thinking about what a great location I have. Everything here in Edmonton is so comfortable. I know where to find everything. I've lived here for nearly 18 years! I have a ton of connections here. As I was attempting to fall asleep tonight, I started thinking about the big good-bye party when I leave and how hard it will be to say goodbye to everyone. I pictured myself loading up my car and saying goodbye to my parents, and how much I will miss them. (I have to say that since my mom reads my blog... JUST KIDDING... I really will miss you.)
And Virginia is about as foreign as it can get for me while still being only one country away. For all the American television I've grown up around, there are still things that make Americans so very different... leaving shoes on in the house, miles and Fahrenheit, the Southern accent, different restaurant chains... and those are just the differences I can think of!
But for all the apprehensions I may be experiencing, I have no doubt it will be worth it. In the next two years, I will make lifelong friendships, develop a strong knowledge of the business world, experience a (slightly) different culture and meet people from other cultures, and network with people who also have a passion for social responsibility and bounce ideas off them so we can change the world. I don't think anyone ever shaped history by staying comfortable.
I just hope that the words from one of the choruses from "Don't Make Me Leave Darden" don't come back to haunt me in two years:
"I should have never left work; I feel like such a jerk."
It's ironic... Today one of the current Darden students posted a link to a YouTube video from Darden Follies entitled "Don't Make Me Leave Darden" on Twitter. (PS I am on Twitter... @missjoolz) I've had it stuck in my head ever since watching it and it feels very weird. It's gotten me to thinking about why I'm doing this whole MBA thing. I'm not a fool; I know the economy is terrible right now. The main reason for getting an MBA is to break into management consulting, and the job market is not going to make that an easy transition!
Then I went for a run this evening. As I was running through the river valley, I was thinking about what a great location I have. Everything here in Edmonton is so comfortable. I know where to find everything. I've lived here for nearly 18 years! I have a ton of connections here. As I was attempting to fall asleep tonight, I started thinking about the big good-bye party when I leave and how hard it will be to say goodbye to everyone. I pictured myself loading up my car and saying goodbye to my parents, and how much I will miss them. (I have to say that since my mom reads my blog... JUST KIDDING... I really will miss you.)
And Virginia is about as foreign as it can get for me while still being only one country away. For all the American television I've grown up around, there are still things that make Americans so very different... leaving shoes on in the house, miles and Fahrenheit, the Southern accent, different restaurant chains... and those are just the differences I can think of!
But for all the apprehensions I may be experiencing, I have no doubt it will be worth it. In the next two years, I will make lifelong friendships, develop a strong knowledge of the business world, experience a (slightly) different culture and meet people from other cultures, and network with people who also have a passion for social responsibility and bounce ideas off them so we can change the world. I don't think anyone ever shaped history by staying comfortable.
I just hope that the words from one of the choruses from "Don't Make Me Leave Darden" don't come back to haunt me in two years:
"I should have never left work; I feel like such a jerk."
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Is there anything more beautiful than a good conversation?
Yes, I suppose there is.
Tonight I had a great time - went to a friend's birthday party and we sat around discussing and solving all the world's problems: the yuppy obsession with pets; affirmative action; Paul Martin's "brilliant" ban on hand guns, especially the illegal ones (yes I am being sarcastic); raising children; censorship; hypocrisy in the church; employers of choice (nap rooms and billiard rooms lead to increased productivity and greater workplace safety); education; discipline vs. desire in our relationship with God and many other topics of great interest to me... and finished sharing stories of summers spent working at camp. The beautiful part was that there were no big arguments, just insightful thoughts.
Unfortunately, it is 2:30 a.m. and I can't sleep in too late tomorrow and my eyes are red and swollen because I was allergic to the beautiful kitten that I kept trying to hold. (I hate cats, but kittens will always hold a special place in my heart...) But it was worth it. And one of the best parts of the evening was that there was a kitten at the house and another couple brought their three-month-old puppy.
Baby animals and great conversation... what more could I ask for?
Tonight I had a great time - went to a friend's birthday party and we sat around discussing and solving all the world's problems: the yuppy obsession with pets; affirmative action; Paul Martin's "brilliant" ban on hand guns, especially the illegal ones (yes I am being sarcastic); raising children; censorship; hypocrisy in the church; employers of choice (nap rooms and billiard rooms lead to increased productivity and greater workplace safety); education; discipline vs. desire in our relationship with God and many other topics of great interest to me... and finished sharing stories of summers spent working at camp. The beautiful part was that there were no big arguments, just insightful thoughts.
Unfortunately, it is 2:30 a.m. and I can't sleep in too late tomorrow and my eyes are red and swollen because I was allergic to the beautiful kitten that I kept trying to hold. (I hate cats, but kittens will always hold a special place in my heart...) But it was worth it. And one of the best parts of the evening was that there was a kitten at the house and another couple brought their three-month-old puppy.
Baby animals and great conversation... what more could I ask for?
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