America

I didn't realize how much I miss America until I went back two weeks ago. It was amazing. I totally underestimated how much I miss being in a familiar environment. I understood what everyone was saying, but more importantly, I knew how the system works. I was in my element.

I love the availability of merchandise. It's consumer heaven! You can buy anything, any time you want. Instead of a choice of 10 espresso machines at Migros, you have 20 of them in Target. Choice of restaurants and the types of cuisine available simply leaves most European cities to shame. Even in the little part of south Jersey I was in, I had bar food, Thai, Italian, Vietnamese, Mexican, Cuban, Malaysian and Chick-Fil-a for the 5 days I was there. Try to get that variety in Lausanne or Geneva.

And gas is CHEAP! And if I am in a jam, I can get myself out of it because EVERYONE speaks English!
Ergh........ I am such an American.

Transition to the real world

Making the trip to Israel, working 6 days made me realize that ready or not, I am about to get dumped into the real world again.

It was a little rough. I almost feel like a prisoner who has just been released into the real world. I started to wonder if a halfway house would be in order to help me adjust. Working again was an odd feeling. In business school, I have never had to make a decision without the help of a group, in the real world, there are times when I alone must make the decision. Need some industry research? In business school, there is always a team of info center staff who can help you out; in the real world, there is just you and the Internet.

Maybe there is a need for a halfway house for fresh MBA grads..................

where have I been?

I am just so bad at this blog thing. I need to get behind th wheel and starting writing this more often. Well, I guess I should start updating everyone on what I have been doing since the end of November.

Nov 26. - YiChun arrives & Middle Eastern Party at IMD
Nov 27 - International Cooking Series dinner
Nov 28 - School and a couple hours of work at Cidway
Nov 29 - School and apartment hunting. Parents arrive for graduation
Nov 30 - Graduation!
Dec 1 - Recovery in the AM and mad packing in the PM
Dec 2 - Visit to family friends
Dec 3 - YiChun leaves
Dec 4 - Move to new apartment
Dec 5 - clean old apartment, my parents leave
Dec 6 - 5:30am train to Zurich and flight to Newark
Dec 7 - 10 repack some contents of storage unit and stuff the ocean freight container. Meet friends I haven't seen for the whole year.
Dec 10 - flite back to Zurich, transfer through Copenhagen to Stockholm
Dec 11 - Give talk at Ericsson
Dec 12 - 9am flight back to Zurich
Dec 13-15 break!!!
Dec 16 - Israel to meet with some of the Cidway folks
Dec 21 - return to Switzerland
Dec 22 - worked the day
Dec 23 - heading into the Alps for Xmas!!!!!!!

Oh boy, did I need a break or what!