Sometimes it is difficult for me to come up with a title for a post – SO many things are always on my mind that I wish I could express in just a few concise paragraphs – but that would be impossible!
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. Traveling, longest work hours of my life, SALES!, goodbye’s, hellos...
Two of the three past weekends have been spent in Slovenia with Pedro, Teryn, and Michael; Teryn and Michael are living in an amazing new apartment in downtown Ljubljana – it is an old aristocrat’s estate turned into lavish apartments, complete with a gym, hottub, dining room, terrace, fireplaces, etc – utterly amazing! They cook for Pedro and I every time we come as well, which is so nice as I am so used to eating out for every meal! I love their company, and our other two friends who live in Slovenia are usually around as well.
However, two weekends ago Teryn and I took a girls road trip to Bratislava, Slovakia and Vienna, Austria! Completely random, but we’re trying to get in as many countries in the Balkan region as possible. Driving from Slovenia through Austria and finally into Slovakia was a dream. Austria’s countryside is so picturesque and girl chatting with Teryn the whole way was much-needed as I am now pretty much only with males (Pedro, my coach, Adam, and all the CEO’s haha). Although there really is not much to see in Bratislava, Teryn and I had a great time shopping in the crafts market, exploring the cobblestone streets with Slovak beers in hand, snapping pictures of the Austrian-influenced architecture, and night-clubbing with locals who ironically became the most excited when the “Y-M-C-A” came on!
After a night in one of the most hysterical “budget hotels” I have ever had the pleasure of sleeping in, Teryn and I set out for Vienna to sight-see for two hours and grab some Wiener Schnitzel for lunch! Vienna is just as beautiful as I remember – the buildings are unbelievable and the town has such a novelty about it. Everything is grandiose and the city paradoxically comes across as brand new while maintaining the majesty of ancient European style. We rushed through the main squares and had a wonderful Schnitzel at a decadent café overlooking one of the main cathedrals. Slovakia, Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia all in one Sunday?!
Other than exploring more of this truly captivating region, I have been majorly focused on finishing up this Croatia project with Pedro. Last week was his final week, and my coach came to help us out with some high-potential meetings. I love Adam, he is so interesting and so smart, but he puts you to WORK. 15-hour work days were the norm, but in the end it was all worth it – we made 2 HUGE sales last week! I closed Hrvatske Vode, the state-owned Croatian water company, on the spot in front of Adam for our biggest deal yet! Pedro and I were so ecstatic, especially that he was able to leave on a truly amazing note after having such a difficult time in this saturated Croatian market. The thrill of a sale is indescribable – a true rush and an amazing feeling of satisfaction after preparing so much. This week I am working on making more high-potential meetings and PR-ing (visiting large companies with information about The European Times) with Jason, another consultant they flew in from Jordan to help me out. I’m not going to lie, this week has been one of the more difficult ones, as I miss Pedro like crazy, I am now in charge of ALL tasks here in Croatia, and I am teaching Jason about the Croatian market as best I can. He’s been great company and I have loved getting to know him better, but after working with the same person for 3 months you get used to a certain work style; transitioning to partner with another person definitely takes time and endurance. However, I love the fact that this project is resting on my shoulders – a mere 3 months ago I had no idea where Zagreb, Croatia even was…
I am thinking I will be in Croatia for another week or so, and then the office will tell me my next placement – I am getting really excited! This weekend I am flying to Belgium for training with the rest of the European teams. Although I know they will put us to work, I am looking forward to seeing my friends from training and having everyone together again!
Love from the Adriatic!!
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