Wednesday, 8 February 2012

What are you most passionate about? Why?

This was one of the questions that the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley asks as part of the application process. Was recently talking about this the other night with a classmate and so figured I would post my response - typical b-school response right?

As you read this, I will be in the middle of a five-week backpacking trip through Chile and Argentina. I am going alone. Am I nervous? Yes.

The language of my first engagement in Switzerland was Swiss German. Unable to understand what was being spoken around me, I was completely dependent on team members. Was it intimidating? Yes.

Sitting on the plane to London, my heart physically ached. I was not leaving just a country. Switzerland, its way of life and my friends there had become an integrated part of who I am. Was it hard to leave Switzerland? Yes.

Regardless of the difficulty, all these challenges I actively pursued. I am most passionate about pushing myself outside my comfort zone to challenge my limits, accomplish a goal or discover something new. This passion has taken many forms, but has been at the heart of all my decisions.

Travelling, I have met the most amazing people. Working in Switzerland taught me how to more easily adapt to new cultures and become comfortable in non-English speaking environments, and moving to London opened up a wealth of career opportunities.

These experiences have gifted me with a broader perspective, enabling me to see something unique in the ordinary, make more informed decisions, problem-solve with a different approach and work well in multi-cultural environments.

I am who I am today because I pushed myself to accomplish something outside my comfort zone and it is my passion to continue to do so. 



Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


Disclaimer of liability
As with all American things, I would like to direct your attention to the following disclaimer of liability prior to your reading of this blog.

#1: Please be aware that I write these posts keeping in mind that others may read them, and therefore try (key word "try") to make them somewhat entertaining. Therefore, while it is all true, I tend to put a very sarcastic twist on most of it, as is my nature. So, please do not find any offense to the following posts. If you do, then maybe we shouldn't be friends.

#2: For those of you who know me well, I have the attention span of a three-year old child and a pinball machine for a mind. I apologize in advance if I jump from one thought and/or event to the next. Please bear with me.

#3: For those of you who don't know me well, I really am a nice person..or so some tell me. So I hope I do not come across a bit strong. But do you really want to read a blog with the following: Today I took an airplane to Costa Rica. The woman I sat next to on the plane was very nice. We had an interesting conversation. The rainforests we drove through to the place I was staying were very beautiful. I am teaching at a school in Costa Rica. The children I work with are really great. Get the point?

#4: Yes, I do work. But I don't think you want to hear about my typical day of waking up at 5:30am going to work, sitting in front of a laptop for 12 hours doing very boring things, going to the gym, and then going to bed..often in a lonely hotel room, now do you?

#5 My intention of these posts is not to brag about all the places I have been. Believe me, living a nomadic lifestyle is a bit exhausting and often times I am even envious of those friends who are a bit more settled with their homes, friends, families, significant other, etc. In the journey of life, there are many paths to follow, and it is a good thing we do not all take the same one. Always keep in mind, the grass is always greener on the other side.I am therefore not liable for any offense taken.I hope you enjoy