November and December of 2010 were some of the most productive months in my life ever. I've managed to raise EUR36K, rent out my condo, wrap up a huge project at work and hire a replacement. On top of this, I somehow found time to apply to a handful of i-banking summer internships in Asia, visit friends and family, re-balance my investments and finish all my holiday shopping done, on time. What is going on? I don't even recognize myself anymore. I used to procrastinate and put off huge tasks that stressed me out to the last possible moment. It didn't affect my performance because I always worked better under pressure anyway. But now this, is this the new me? I wonder how long this trend will last.
After what has been one of the hardest and most stressful years in my life, I, surprisingly, have all these energy. Not nervous energy but positive, can't wait to learn and challenge myself energy. And it's most appropriate because in 10 days, I will leave my comfortable dwelling, my family and friends and return to school at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France. My brain understands this fact but I am not really sure if I can fully process what this change really means. I am sure all of my fellow 11Ders can relate for we all have this vague idea about what we are getting ourselves into but do we, can we, really know what the experience will be like, truly?
With 9 more days to go before 2010 concludes, I want to thank everyone who have grounded me, supported me and campaigned for me. Without you, I will not be brave enough to put my life on hold, take on another $100K in debt, live alone abroad for a year and go back to school. I'm sure I'd make some very good and logical argument why it would be a better choice for me to navigate a career make over on my own. But you know what? In the end, I think I will regret not giving myself a chance to pursue a global MBA.
To all my fellow 11Ders, I will see you next year; to the INSEAD aspirants, good luck on your GMATs, application essays, interviews and the inevitable nail-biting wait. Feel free to reach out and I shall do my best to share with you my experience.
Happy holidays and wish you all a successful 2011!
