Kathleen's Adventures

I'm almost halfway through my two-week trip to Helsinki - my last trip before moving here.  I've decided I'm living an introvert's dream and possibly an extrovert's worse nightmare.  Not knowing the language is beyond alienating - in so many ways.  People have continually said to me "oh, but they speak English, right?"  Yes...most of them do, after being spoken to in English.  However, the conversations that go on around me, signs, directions, menus, everything printed is in Finnish (and in some cases Sweedish).  I keep finding myself wishing that either I had someone here with me or that I was doing this in England, or Ireland, or any other English-speaking country.  So after feeling sorry for myself for a while (and still doing that a bit), I'm realizing I will have to make a very very concerted effort to learn the language.  I don't expect to be able to have real conversations - just want to have some clue as to what is going on around me an...

In April, I traveled around the world.  It is funny I seem to be checking off bucket list items that I didn't necessarily have on my bucket list.  My trip started with a week in Singapore for training.  It was over Easter and the local office had Good Friday off.  I worked from my hotel on Friday.  I ended up going three days without seeing a single person I know.  That is rare - there are some people that rarely even go one day.  I decided two should be about my max.  I went to a local Methodist church for Easter - it sure wasn't home, but was definitely better than nothing.  That being said, I definitely enjoyed Singapore more this time around than the last time I went.  Upgrading to business class on my flight over might have something to do with that - I didn't realize just how bad I felt last time.  I knew the area a little better and the weather was pretty darn nice this time around.  I think I had to sizzle there a li...

My week-long trip began with a two day offsite team building kickoff with the new Helsinki crew (around 30 people or so) as well as a handful from the Austin office.  The itinerary I received the week before included an ice sculpting competition, sauna time (bathing suit optional), and pigeon on the dinner menu.  Needless to say, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The ice sculpting ended up being pretty fun  - my team made a boat with a Finnish flag on the back.  Granted towards the end it ended up looking more like a toilet bowl than a boat, but I didn't have the heart to tell my team of new Finnish acquaintances this.  Sauna time ended up being split - the men went to the "sauna by the sea" and the ladies stayed back at the one inside the hotel - ie completely uneventful...and not naked.  Dinner was seven courses and I bailed for bed after #5 - it was 11:15pm.  One of those I did stay awake for was the pigeon.  I was proud of myself...

In early January, my boss held a typical meeting of his direct-reports and mentioned the possibility of putting someone in Europe over the accounting for our subs (which is currently going through Singapore).  He asked what a few of us thought about it and I thought it was a great idea.  A bit later he said "who knows - it could be someone in this room."  I looked around the room and realized (for the umpteenth time in these meetings) that one of these is not like the others.  As in the others all have 10-20 years more experience than I do.  My position in Internal Audit is unique in that it reports to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors and "administratively" to the CFO to maintain independence.  Anyways, I looked around the room and quickly wrote off the possibility of me taking a position like that due to lack of experience compared to the others.  But then a small part of me also realized I was the only one without a family with kids in m...

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Green belt hike from Sunday.

Friday night.  One year ago.  The worst phone call I've ever been a part of.  I was in Beaumont watching TV with my parents after dinner.  I had come in for a bike ride the next day and a childhood friend's wedding Saturday night.  It was rare I was home with them.  I'm still debating whether I'm glad I was there or not.  Part of me is glad I was there for them, but the part of me that worries I will be haunted for life by that phone call selfishly wishes I had been hundreds of miles away. The phone rang and Mom said "oh, I bet it is Doug calling to complain about the Astros."  Aunt Tootsie's name popped up on the TV caller ID.  Mom answered and I could tell immediately by the tone of her voice that things weren't okay.  I heard her ask "Linda Mattingly?" as she walked down the hall.  Dad continued eating his ice cream and watching TV.  I was already sick.  Mom got off the phone and said Tootsie had said Uncle Buddy h...