Yo no muy bueno a la blog....

So apparently I'm pretty bad at this blog thing.  It is not to say that I have not been thinking of topics to share, and most certainly not for the lack of experiences, but perhaps more of the opposite.  I have been so busy with trips, activities, getting to know new people and studying (but I also consider living, talking and being in Argentina studying, so pretty much I study every minute of the day!) I have not had a minute to put my thoughts into a blog! I cannot believe I only have 2 weeks left in Argentina.  I have been looking forward to this for so long and now it is just about over.  ¡Increíble, pero es la vida! I do really love this city and could definitely see myself living here for a longer period of time.
While I am a bit sad at the thought of leaving, I am very much looking forward to getting to know my other classmates in a few weeks at Thunderbird and looking forward to the other opportunities that lie ahead.

For the purpose of organization consider this a post of my failures and I will move on to posts of my adventures and successes.  But at most I will say this... ¡Yo hablo español!

En el Canal de Beagle, Ushuaia, Argentina

Tres Semanas para Todo la Vida

How quickly life can change. Three weeks ago I was a different person leading a different life.  Today I am an American student living in Buenos Aires studying spanish.  

First things first... 

Going back to school is HARD.  I was not prepared for the amount of work and intensity that would be involved.  Not that I thought it would be easy, but this is a whole different level.  I have been working for a solid 7 years now and while that has not always been easy either, there is a difference in the ability to manage your own schedule, deadlines, etc.  Here you have no choice and no flexible time.  We had spanish classes for a week and a half.  Each day was 9am - 4pm and we were tested each morning on what we had learned the previous day.  So that meant that I could maybe allow myself a 1-1.5 hour break right after class to clear my head and then start studying again for the rest of the night (and I'm talking 10-12 sometimes 1am) then get up and do it all over again!  Not to mention we only had a one day weekend to make sure we could cover enough before we went to Argentina!  

Mi Clase 

Our class is very diverse in a couple of ways.  Most notably we have students that range in age from 20 - 34.  There are 11 of us total.  6 are under the age of 25 and 5 are over the age of 29.  I'm sure you have seen the someecard that says something like "I'm 30, but I feel like I'm 20 until I hang out with 20 year olds...  Then I'm like no, I'm 30."  That is pretty much how I feel and at least one of my other classmates as we have discussed this.  That being said, everyone in the class is really nice.  We do also have a variety of professional backgrounds.  We have a former police officer, a lawyer, two marketers (myself included) and several directly or within a year or so out of school.  

What I realized towards the end of the first 2 weeks when I seemed to be the one struggling the most with the balance of studying and fun (and by fun I mean any time spent not studying) was that I was essentially the only person really adjusting to going back to school in addition to being in a really intense spanish class.  All of the other students in my age group were returning students and the others are still fresh off of undergrad.  While this realization doesn't really help with grades, it does somehow make me feel a little better about my struggles!

Mi Familia en Buenos Aires

Somehow in the past two weeks at Thunderbird in Arizona, thanks to an amazing professor, I have learned enough spanish to carry on a conversation with my host family for a few hours each day I have been here.  You may be quick to point out I have only been here for two days, but given that 2-3 weeks ago I essentially did not know any spanish, I think that even one hour of conversation is pretty impressive.  I am grateful that I have been placed with a fantastic host family.  They are really kind and welcoming and have made it a priority to make sure "Su casa es mi casa" (Their house is my house - I know it is usually said the other way around, but I'm the receiver in this case!).  They are also very helpful with my spanish.  They do not speak much english, which I think is a good thing so we are both not tempted to default to that, however they speak slowly and descriptively with hand gestures so I can understand.  Right now I can only speak in the present tense, I tend to mix up verbs that sound similar and often conjugate the verbs incorrectly.  I'm sure it is either really frustrating for them or absolutely hilarious.  In our conversation over dinner tonight I think I was able to successfully tell them what I had studied (in really awkward present tense - I study marketing at a University before I work before I study at Thunderbird...) Then what I did for work, then what I was currently studying and at that moment I saw a glint in their eyes that they realized I was not an idiot... That was a relief... Needless to say I am pretty excited to learn the other tenses! 

Classes in Buenos Aires begin tomorrow morning, so I'm signing off! Hasta Luego!

Hasta Luego - The Art of Goodbye

Saying goodbye is a funny thing.  I have been doing a lot of it recently as I only have 2 days left at work and 3 days left in DC.
The way I see it is there are essentially three different types of goodbyes.

• The people that you never really say goodbye to because they will always be a part of your life no matter where you are physically.
• Your convenience friends; those that you enjoy when they are around, but there is not enough substance in the relationship to maintain the friendship without the convenience.  You will stay facebook friends, be aware of what is going on in their digital lives and maybe hit a bar if you end up in the same city at some point, but that is about it. 
• And then there are the people that you know you will most likely never see or hear from again.

The last group I think can be the easiest and hardest goodbyes.  Some of the people that fall into this category you could not be more thrilled than to never see them again; others have perhaps made a profound impact on you but in such passing you know you will likely never see them again; to me, these are the really hard ones.

There are a lot of people that fall into this category, but two people come to mind that fall into the later of the third category.  The school crossing guard that I see every morning on my walk to work and the gentleman I buy the Street Sense newspapers from on that same walk.  I don't know either of them well, but I see them just about every day.  They both exude such positive energy and are always quick with a smile and friendly conversation no matter the weather or what situation they are in.  It is people like this that I try to remind myself of when I find myself in a bad mood or unmotivated and why I believe so strongly in smiling and showing kindness to strangers.  I know that they are partially responsible for the continuation of my positive attitude.  They are my daily reminder to be happy and to share that happiness.   

While I will spend my remaining three days here in DC doing my best to spend quality time with good friends, I have to keep in mind that goodbyes are not all sad occasions.  It is the end of one chapter, but the start of a new one and I look forward to meeting new friends and starting new adventures. 

So Hasta Luego DC. 

Embracing Where You Are While You Are There.

 

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly." – Buddha

This is concept I tend to struggle with.  It is so easy to get wrapped up in planning for the future that you forget to live in the present moment, particularly in times of transition.  I am currently in perhaps one of the greatest stages of transition that I may ever be in.  I am giving up a stable career, a comfortable home and moving away from friends and family to embark on an uncertain journey that will forever change my course in life.

It is in these moments where I get so caught up in what I need to do to prepare for this future journey that I often have to remind myself to participate fully in today. To enjoy my current surroundings; to be totally present with my friends, family, colleagues and even strangers when I am spending time with them; to not getting too hung up on all of the things I need to do to prepare for this future; to enjoy today.

Most people would say that going back to school to pursue an MBA is not that crazy.  In fact, most people would say that this is a completely normal, functional thing for someone to do at this stage in their life.  They would be right.  But to me, getting my MBA is not about going back to school.  It's not about the piece of paper I will get in the end.  It's not about a cushy job on the other side. (Don't get me wrong, I intend to make a fantastic career for myself - more on that another day.)  But to me it's about the experiences and people I will meet along the way.  It's about the inspiration I will find and the ability to turn that inspiration into practical applications that, with any luck, will make a positive impact on the world; maybe not for everyone, but hopefully for someone.  Don't get me wrong I am not an idealist.  In fact I would more accurately describe myself as a Capitalist, just a Conscientious Capitalist (no I have not read the book, but maybe I should. I do shop a Whole Foods!).

Anyway, this is why I chose to go to Thunderbird School of Global Management.  In addition to knowing I will get an excellent education, the values of the school align with mine and the school emphasizes this with the experiences and opportunities that they have built the program from and create an atmosphere of true global collaboration.

Getting back to my point, and getting back to today, the future is distracting, and while it should not be ignored, we must remind ourselves that today must take precedent. 

As I prepare for this journey I need to think about the future.  Let's be real, I had to plan to get to this point, and now I have to sell all of my furniture, pack, go to the dentist, buy plane tickets, repaint my apartment, etc.  All of these things require forethought.  But today, I looked up on my walk to work - I won't get to see things like the Washington Monument on a regular basis pretty soon (even covered in scaffolding) - I went to lunch with a friend and made sure to be 100% present with her in that moment, and in about an hour, when I leave my office and head off to a dinner with colleagues and other industry professionals I will embrace this opportunity and not allow myself to dwell on the things that I am worried I will run out of time to do - like pack.

Mantra: Enjoy the moment you are in.  Enjoy today.