So begins my first blog post! I am definitely a novice at this; after googling everything from “free blogs” to “funny and creative blogs” to “how to captivate audiences with a blog” and reading “Best of Lonely Planet Travel Writing”, I think I may be at least a little bit prepped?
But maybe I’m not supposed to admit that in my first paragraph of my first ever blog entry?
The reason for my blog: A month ago I accepted a job offer with Big Media Group as an “International Sales Consultant”. I have tried to explain to my family and friends exactly what that means, but I am honestly so unsure myself I usually keep the description edited. My take on it as of now: I am working for international investment publications and productions that provide information and business articles on various countries around the world that investors may be interested in learning more about. I will be interviewing government officials and CEO’s of top 100 companies in the various countries where I will be placed. Each project that I work on lasts from 2 -5 months, and I will be working with one other consultant on each project. So after my training in Brussels, Belgium, I will be placed in ANY country around the world, depending on the company’s business needs. I will be living out of hotels (yay, no cleaning for the next few years); they will be where I live and where I work.
It hasn’t fully hit me that I am starting a brand new life in a mere week. I am leaving everything I have ever known, and starting a career that I know nothing about as of now. I have no idea where I will be 3 weeks from now: Iceland, Timbuktu, Estonia, Cambodia, Ecuador? The thrill of this job greatly outweighs its uncertainty, and I couldn’t be more excited. It is everything I have ever wanted in a career; I want to travel, meet new people, satisfy my strong ambition to explore the world, learn how a different culture means a different way of doing business, and discover just how much more there is out there.
While reading my Lonely Planet book, I came across this quote that embodies exactly why I am embracing my future lifestyle and the opportunity to meet completely distinct, diverse people:
“We travel for adventure and fun, to court hardship and face the dangers and excitements that are themselves a kind of vacation and challenge for us. We meet people for whom our presence is nothing but opportunity, to take them out of the sadness and difficulty of their lives. The smiles exchanged on both sides have something of a nervous edge.”
So in the most cliché of goodbyes, Bon Voyage to family, friends, college, English, the dollar, any attempt at a structured life, driving cars, free cell phone minutes, the Eastern Time Zone, having personal space, and my comfort zone.
