Hibernation

Hi, Friends.  Sorry for the long silence.

Though it’s the deep of winter, and the time at which most creatures are securely ensconced in their hibernation period, I am finally emerging from mine. The first semester at Darden was a hugely rewarding experience, but it was also quite demanding. So much so that I found the need to hunker down and focus solely on the tasks in front of me. Exams. Recruiting. Sleep.

But, the conclusion of the first semester heralded the beginning of winter break, and signaled the beginning of sleeping in, baking, reconnecting with family and friends, catching up on long-overdue correspondence, and—dare I say it?—reading for fun.

There was also addressing the neglected needs of my dear b-school companion, Harper. Never has there been a dog happier to pick up a Frisbee.

I also had the chance to meet some wonderful prospective students over coffee. It was so exciting to speak with them about Darden, the application process, and what lies ahead for their first semester. While the first semester was certainly challenging, I feel so fortunate to have made some incredible friends in the last few months, and to have conquered subjects like economics, accounting, and finance. As I described to a former colleague recently, it’s like when you’re a little kid learning to read, and suddenly you look up and notice words everywhere. Listening to world financial news is a completely different experience now.

Thanks to Professor Schill and a marathon tutoring session with my Learning Team mate Chad, I actually understand what this means.

Winter break is still in session for a few more days, and I intend to savor it. But when classes begin again on Monday, I’ll look forward to a new semester with new challenges: securing an internship, mastering decision analysis class, and learning more letters to this alphabet.