Thunder-Memories

Well, what can I say? It’s been two months since I last updated the blog – and so much has happened! The highlights of which to come in series of blog entries in the next weeks as I update the site on incredible spots in and around Portland…

But first, inspired by my friend Meike’s latest blog entry on things she missed most about Thunderbird I thought I would compile a similar list! It's been nearly three months post-grad, but it seems like just yesterday I was at the pub discussing the inundation of group projects and assignments, horrible group members, places less-traveled, and just about anything and everything in between... So, here goes nothing (in no particular order)....

1. Making travel plans for the next adventure! There was always something going on! That first trimester in Glendale, I was planning for Costa Rica. In Costa Rica I was planning for Mexico... in Mexico I was planning for Prague. In Prague I was planning for Austria, Poland, and Turkey. Then back in Glendale again planning for Jordan... in Jordan planning for Israel. Man it was a wild ride!
2. I miss sitting in class, and looking around the room, and having the faces of so many different cultures and countries looking back at you. Diversity is indeed the spice of life - and added to much more of a 'colorful' experience at Thunderbird!
3. Along those lines - and same with Meike - I do miss hearing "global" about 50 times a day. Every class had global in its course title - and we even lived on "1 global place." !!
4. I miss talking to my fellow Tbirds about visiting, living and working in places that most people wouldn't dare go! You say middle east to most people - and they look at you like you have three heads! Thunderbirds on the other-hand would jump at the chance to work, live or travel there!
5. I really miss the regional nights on campus! It was so great watching different clubs on campus work together to put on a truly spectacular event that showcased various cultures through food, song, dance and history. It was one of the best parts of campus-life, and one that I will truly miss! The dancing was the best part - especially the Indian dancing!
6. Going to ninja training (aka krav maga) and getting our asses kicked everyday - sometimes twice a day!
7. Going to Bikram yoga with just about every Thunderbird in Glendale!
8. Driving up and down Bell road with Meike trying to figure out where we were going to grab dinner! It usually came down to Cheesecake Factory, Pei Wei or the Korean BBQ place - the only places open!
9. The wrap ladies, the stir-fry guy and random conversations with people in the commons! I'd often go there for a quick meal, and wind up engaged in a conversation with random people from everything between who I was dating, to recent political events, to the latest professor gossip! Never a dull moment! haha.
10. Thursday nights!!!!!!! Oh man - getting through an insanely busy week at Thunderbird was rewarded with a wild and crazy Thursday night! It ALWAYS started with a carb-packed (if we were smart) dinner, and Grey's Anatomy episode with Meike. Then we'd make our way to the pub for $4 vodka cranberries and some dancing usually followed by an after-party - details of which were always fuzzy the next day!
11. Taking finals in an old air-plane hanger. No seriously - this is where we do everything! We had our introductory sessions to Thunderbird here, we took exams here, some regional events were held here, and the pub was even moved here when the campus freaked out because of Swine Flu.
12. Group meetings... some of which I definitely do not miss.... but others, I do. After marathon 12+ hour meetings with hilarious people, you never know what's going to happen next!
13. The I-BICH (IBIC as it is more formally known). People go there to 'study' but it usually turned into a social hangout to virtually communicate via chat with the people next to you on the latest gossip.
14. Speaking of gossip... going to a small school, the gossip mill was insane! There was always SOME news that you couldnt believe.
15. Watching Hindi movies and BBC documentaries about Mumbai with Neil in the most boring class ever!
16. Fighting with Ankit (sometimes i miss this, sometimes I dont)!
17. My friends!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the aspect I miss most about Thunderbird!!! But, I am comforted by the fact, that these are lifelong friendships and that we will always stay in touch!
18. Our global adventures... too numerous too list - highlights include (unintentionally hiking through the jungle with Meike in Costa Rica at midnight, going to Isreal during the Gaza MASACRE (not a conflict like western, i mean US media portrayed it) with Meike, Yuri don't worry in Istanbul (hehehe), the homeless dude that didnt speak English that got in our train car somewhere between Prague and Krakow and Meike having to kick him out, our entire 6-week sleepless adventure in Prague and neighboring Euro cities, being a fricken pack-mule (hehe), praying to god I'd pass finance 2 and 3, Dermot the frog, Bombay and the mojito fish bowls, Mr. Baker, Coffee HEAVEN... and so much more!!
19. Giving my campus ambassador tours and seeing that same excitement on the prospective students' faces as I had... no seriously, it was a very rewarding experience!
20. And, to make it an even 20 - I'd have to say the INDIAN PARTIES. Oh man. During my time at Thunderbird, many preconceived stereotypes I had were either confirmed or totally blown out of the water... the Indians... by FAR... were the most fun group on campus. Their parties could rival the bars in Spain (and that is saying a lot). From kamikaze shots (thanks Rahul), to Indian dancing, to unconditional friendships and a lot of laughs -I will always hold these memories near and dear to my heart! I think Meike and i were inducted into the club as honorary Indians ;)

Wow, ok - thinking back on all these memories actually made me a little sad! I really miss my time at this school... it was by far, the best two years of my life! But, on a happy and exciting note... now I get to take the experiences I had, the lessons I learned and combine it with my background and previous experience to really make a difference in the world... so stay tuned... it'll take some time... but I intend to do some good things in this World.... so stay tuned!!!! :)

That's MY School!!

Ok, so another shameless plug for Thunderbird... but the graduation was recently covered by Time Magazine, for our Thunderbird oath of honor. It's so awesome, because it truly is a Thunderbird trait to not care solely about the dollars earned, but from what good we can create in the world with our education. I am a proud graduate from this university!!!!

Check out the story here... (there is also a link in the story so you can check out the video).

The picture above is (c) of Thunderbird, but I love the picture and it represents the campus well. It is the largest statue shipped in one piece from France to the U.S., and it's adorned with a wonderful quote that reads, "borders frequented by trade seldom need soldiers."

Thunderbird Experience

I feel like starting out this, my last blog entry from my time at Thunderbird with a quote. Not only do I like Thoreau (one of his quote adorns the side of this blog), but I feel in so many ways, that this quote encapsulates what is to come…

“How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.”

And living – I mean really living is precisely what I have been doing these past couple years. How many people can say that? Sure people live – they get up and they fall into the same monotonous routine everyday – not really breaking away to experience something new, to meet someone new, or to learn something new.

When I got accepted into the MBA program at Thunderbird, a colleague of mine from San Diego said, “congratulations and enjoy your experience – it will change your life.” Never have words been so true – as this place has changed my life forever. The experiences I’ve had, the people I’ve met, the places I’ve traveled, and the memories I’ve made will be forever emblazoned into my mind. These will be the memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I will ALWAYS look back at my time at Thunderbird and smile.

It’s hard to convey into words exactly how much I will miss this place. It even brings tears to my eyes as I think of the friends I have already said goodbye to – and even the goodbyes still to come. I will miss everything about this place – from the “global” curriculum to some of the crazy professors, from the boyfriend to the best friends, from the insane birds chirping at 3am to the scary bugs crawling around campus (well, maybe not miss that), from the turkey wraps to the stir fry guy, from double fisting vodka cranberries at the pub to taking shots of god knows what at the random Indian parties, from Indian dancing to German dancing, from rugby games to our tennis games, from krav maga with the ninjas to running with the boys, from all nighters with starbucks at the commons to group meetings at the IBIC, from Jordan to Costa Rica to Mexico to Prague and a lot of counties in between. Basically I will miss everything.

I am so sad to close this chapter in my life. But, it is time to move on… And so I will march forward into the future, armed with the knowledge, experience and amazing memories Thunderbird has given me. But, I will ALWAYS, ALWAYS remember the good times at Thunderbird, and I will forever hold these memories near to my heart. And so I will close with this…

To my friends and family – many thanks for your support during my time at Thunderbird – your encouraging words pulled me through many a difficult times. I love you.

To my Thunderbird friends – You have no idea how much our friendship means to me. I sincerely hope that we always stay in touch. You guys are amazing – and I have no doubt will change the world for the better as you were trained to do ;) I will never forget you, or the fun times we’ve shared. You are what have made this experience all the better. And, I love you too!

Graduation!!!!

"As you journey through life,

choose your destinations well,

but do not hurry there.

Avoid the shortcuts...

wander the back roads...

enjoy the scenery.

And remember

that the true worth of your travels

lies not in the destination

but in who you come to be

along the way."

Friday was the big day! The culmination of 2 years in the making - well, longer than that actually, because I almost feel like my entire life (or at least from when I was 18 until now) has in some way been preparing me for this Thunderbird experience. I had family in town from all over the US - it was so great to see everyone! My Aunt and Uncle from California, my mom from New Mexico, and my Dad and family from Massachusetts! It meant a lot to me to have everyone share this amazing day with me! Thanks guys!

I will do a Thunderbird final blog post with pictures from travels past, but as I reflect back on how I even got here - it's pretty interesting journey that even though some parts were quite tough, I would NOT go back and change anything, as everything I've done brought me one step closer to Thunderbird. And for my time here at Thunderbird, I would not trade that in for the world. This has been undoubtedly the BEST experience of my life. I have made so many memories that I will treasure forever.

So.... cheers to all the Thunderbird graduates!!! It's been an amazing ride - and I will never forget the times I've shared with everyone while here at Thunderbird and traveling the world.

Swine Flu?!!

So, because of this whole swine flu scare, and with Thunderbird having over 800 people in town from all over the world for the graduation festivities - extra precaustionary measures were taken in light of the swine flu.

People were not allowed to hug or shake hands....

If you coughed or displayed any flu-like symptoms, you would be asked to leave the premises....

The fricken pub was closed down on our last Thursday night (thankfully, they opened up the auditorium, but still - it wasnt the same)....

So, of course, being Thunderbirds - people didn't care about coming into close contact - and hugs, handshakes and kisses abounded and the pub was still rocking (depsite the new location).

Cocktail Reception

So, the cocktail reception was the "kick-off" to the graduation festivities on Thursday evening. Campus ambassadors were given medals, awards were given to outstanding students demonstrating their committment to the school, and basically everyone was just outside a nice summer evening outside drinking wine, meeting families and having a good time with their fellow students!

On top of Phoenix

One last time, I had to hike Camelback - this time I dragged Charan up to the top with me. You know - as much as I despised this place two years ago... I have now come to actually like it, and will miss Phoenix. Or... maybe I'll just miss the memories that I have made here?!

Shotgun Wedding

I have so many pictures from the last few days at Thunderbird, that I will break them up by events. On Wednesday, two friends of mine got married! It was a quick ceremony at the courthouse downtown - but it was one with so much character - so representative of their personalities. All of us dressed up in the most "hideous" outfits we could find to watch Nick and Emilie tie the knot.

We definitely got some interesting stares walking through Phoenix....





Congrats Nick and Emilie!!!!

School's out forever!

Love the song by Alice Cooper! But, anyway - grad school is officially complete! I have fulfilled all that is required of me to earn that MBA from Thunderbird! Woohoo! Yesterday at 5:30 p.m. (well, more like 5:45 because our class was running late thanks to a few groups that did not follow instructions), I finished up my last class, last presentation, and handed in my last deliverable!

Can you believe it?! Two years... DONE! And, man - what a wild ride! I've had so much fun, met so many amazing people, got to experience so many different things - and even learned a lot too ;)

There will definitely be a "best of" edition of my time here at Tbird - so definitely stay tuned for that... but for now...

SCHOOL'S OUT FOREVER!!!

Wait for it.... Wait for it....

So I feel like I can't quite toss up my hands and jump around screaming "I'm done, I'm done, I'm done with MBA." Almost, but not quite yet....

Today, I attended the last class of my MBA!!!!! So, now all that stands in between me and my degree from Thunderbird (who coincidentally for the 14th consecutive year is ranked number 1 by US News & World Report for international business graduate programs), is ONE MORE PAPER!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday at 5:30 p.m when I hand in my report and do a quick presentation, I will have officially fulfilled all that is required of me for the MBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, until then... wait for it.... wait for it....

But... check this out.... click here for the story or just see below :)

Crunch time!!!

Tonight is dinner with the clients!!
Tuesday is our big presentation to the Chilean government
Tuesday - I also have 2 other classes, and my final paper for marketing is due
Wednesday - Analysis for Strategic Marketing Final
Thursday - Spanish final and presentation
Friday - Case Study for Energy
Saturday - Present the above case study

If I can get through this week... on Saturday afternoon, I will be officially done with ALL of my deliverables, finals, exams, projects, papers and presentations of my MBA career! In the words of Larry the Cable Guy (appropriate for Glendale)...

"Let's git'er done!!!!"

I LOVE the 80's!!!

So what is NOT to love from the 80's. I mean seriously, you had rockin' music like the song playing on my blog by Cyndi Lauper and other goodies like Madonna and Billy Idol, you had leg warmers, shoulder pads, acid-wash denim, mini-skirts, neon stuff, big hair, big bows, wild outfits and even slap-it bracelets!

So, paying tribute to this classy decade, hehe, Thunderbird decided to party in "style" with an 80's-themed night at the pub. This week was rough with projects and group work, but slap an 80's-theme to something, and people will not only make time for it, but go ALL OUT in the process!! Check out the pictures below. It was a totally tubular night, we rocked the look pretty well with the outrageous outfits, and managed to have yet another fantastic Thursday evening at the good ole' ThunderPub...

I missed my workout!!!

Ok - I've been good about working out everyday - a little cardio, a little kickboxing, a little yoga a little core stability or strength training, or even some tennis. BUT... today, being near the end of the semester when just about every deliverable for every class is due around the same time, I had to miss my evening workout!!!!!!!! Ugh! I'm not happy - so thought I would take a break to eat my dinner and vent!

I just finished working on a paper that is due on Tuesday next week, painstakingly scrutinizing EVERY decision our team made for the last 9 weeks in this marketing strategy simulation game. What a nightmare! Now, I have to run to a group meeting to which I will have to present tomorrow afternoon an abbreviated version of our group's results. I also have a fricken Spanish test at 9:40 tomorrow morning that I will need to study for - not too much though, I just need to memorize some vocabulary stuff pertaining to automotive crap - that I have forgotten! Exciting - let me tell you! See, who knew that in grad school you'd get to consult for Latin American governments, write feasibility plans for foreign companies looking to enter the U.S. market, work on exciting branding and marketing projects for companies across the globe... AND, get to memorize exciting Spanish vocab! woo-hoo!

Tonight, will most likely be an all-nighter, as I attempt to finish all the deliverables due tomorrow - but, I must finish, because tomorrow night is the 80's party at the pub - lord knows I can't miss a Thursday-night pub night! hehe. Pictures sure to come this weekend!

Camel Camel Camelback!

Wow - so for some reason, I remember Camelback being a LOT harder than that! Maybe it's because of those INSANE krav maga classes I've taken where for an hour a day, we are tortured to death with these hideous boot camp type exercises - or maybe it's because I actually had enough water with me this time! In any way - it was a good hike - beautiful day, nice to be outside!


Camelback is pretty intense due to the steep nature of the pile of dirt smack dab in the center of 3+ million people. Nah, I'm just kidding - Camelback is more than just a pile of dirt - it's small, but it's short and sweet. It's a hell of a workout to the top with non-stop stairs to scale, poles to climb up, and rock falls to scramble over - but the views from the top are absolutely worth the climb!

I pretty much divided the climb into 4 stages... (who needs to mile markers when you have my highly technical climber jargon below)...

Stage 1: The Stairs winding up and around the head of the camel....

Stage 2: Flat rock one with pole, and flat rock 2 with pole to assist climbers so they don't careen down the mountain....

Stage 3: Rockfall 1. This is pretty short and sweet actually - it's steep, but the climb is short, and then you are rewarded with some cool panoramic shots of the Valley (but don't stop here - there's still more climbing to do)...

Stage 4: The Finale - Rockfall 2. This is insane. It's like 3/4 mile of near vertical rockfalls. Its the final push to the top of the mountain, and its the longest and most difficult of the stages.... but it is well worth the effort!

I still contend however, that it is much more difficult actually descending down Camelback then climbing up it! Anyway, now that the hiking is over for the day, I can get back to doing some work.. like my taxes! Ugh!