Going to Spain...

Hello world! I have made a commitment to start blogging again - especially because I will be blogging from across the ocean! I am spending my final MBA semester at ESADE in Barcelona. This means that I leave in one week, assuming my visa gets here in time. *fingers tightly crossed.*

I thought as a primer to the experience, I would share what I used for my interview earlier this year.  It pretty much sums up why I chose this program.  (FYI - We were asked to come in to answer questions. I prepared a take-away, complete with a photoshopped picture of myself + Bevo at ESADE, and surely had the cheesiest interview ever. It worked.)

Top Five Reasons to Send Erin to ESADE

 

5. I love international experiences! ESADE is an international student mecca, with 45 countries represented. Speaking of, have I proved that I love international experiences while at UT? Some examples: starting an international speaking group, mentoring international students, being an exchange-student buddy, TA'ing for a global marketing class, doing a Global Exchange program...

4. My career goal: Consulting on global projects from a European base.  My original intention was to get my MBA in Europe, but my plans evolved and I came to McCombs with a goal to get to Europe ASAP! I plan to transfer to Europe with BCG within a few years and work on projects of a global scale. Barcelona is the perfect hub to establish a European base.  (BCG has a Barcelona office!)

3. Culture! Language! Spain! I've traveled around the world, but Spain has always eluded me. I feel this is the perfect opportunity to explore the country, specifically Barcelona, on a prolonged basis. Being an art history minor in undergrad, I've always imagined being in Gaudi, Picasso, and Miro's backyard.  I'm also excited to practice my rusty Spanish and learn some Catalan.  

2. Represent McCombs on an International Scale.  I've already spent my time at McCombs actively promoting the school: MBA Student Blog, CCIMS Marketing Fellows, Twitter, Texas Enterprise.... I will continue to do this and share my ESADE Study Abroad experience for McCombs. 

And last but not least...

1. Risk. Adapt. Change. After 13 years in Austin, I want to try something completely different.  Try a new lifestyle, meet completely different people, immerse myself in a different way of living. I believe ESADE is an amazing option to do this, and I am so excited for the opportunity. 

~Thank You!!~

Lucky

Wow, it's been a while since I've blogged! Trust me, I've wanted to... however this crazy MBA life has got me focused on other things....

However, I did want to hop on for a minute because I am feeling particularly happy and lucky today.  Warning: mushiness is about to ensue.  As I write this (and take a much needed break from performing conjoint analysis for my pricing & revenue optimization class), I am sipping some Trader Joe's Vanilla & Cinnamon hot tea... which was made for me by Joe... who not only stopped watching NFL to heat up water for me, but then brought in over ten different boxes of tea so I wouldn't have to leave my desk and go to the kitchen to pick out a flavor...I swear, he is so good at the little things!

And also the big things! Yesterday on my way to an adventure race, I got a flat tire about 1.5 miles from home. Joe not only stayed with my car and handled changing the flat while I got a ride to the race (thanks K!), but then he went to Discount Tire and bought me two new tires! My car was back to new once I got home. I wasn't expecting this at all, but gosh it made my life so much easier to have everything taken care of.

People ask me all the time how Joe & I are doing, how things are going with me being in school, and how things are going living together.  The answer is easy - we couldn't be better!  When I say I don't know how I would have made it so far without him, I am being totally serious. Sure I could have made it, but he sure makes my life so much easier and so much better.  I am one seriously lucky girl.

And with that bundle of mushiness, I'm back to some conjoint analysis. :)

Hanging out in California last weekend. :)

Travel...

I just realized... this has been an awesome year for travel!

Hawaii + Colorado + INDIA!!!+ Roadtrip (Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, DC) + Switzerland & Italy!

Not bad for going back to school, right?

Almost done...

I can't believe that I am about to be done with my first year of graduate school.

I just wrote a post for the McCombs student blog about "Lessons for a First Year" and it reminded me of this post I wrote back in October.

I'm halfway there, and I couldn't be more confident that I did the right thing. :)