Here is the story. After working for 8 long years climbing up the corporate ladder in New York City, I received a gift from the heavens. Time. Money. Time + Money! So after walking out of the corporate death-star for the last time on February 28th 2006, I aimed to spend that time + money out seeing more of the world.
Here was my letter of farewell to the office:
“After some eight years of learning, fun, and increasingly gray hair, I am leaving ELC to pursue my next adventure(s). As some of you may know, before my career at ELC Online I earned a Masters in Foreign Service and have spent a few years living, studying, and working in Europe. I was on a career path focusing on international relations and foreign policy but somehow ended up with lipstick, foundation, skin cream, and the internet! One would think that this corporation would provide plenty of opportunity for negotiating with hostile powers, diplomatic impasses, and mascara embargoes, but alas, I still feel the desire to try something new (and no, I don’t mean Revlon or L’Oreal).
Instead, I will be spending the rest of the year exploring opportunities in Southeast Asia, India, and Africa. My hopes are that these opportunities will manifest themselves, for instance, as some time spent on a micro-financing project in Vietnam, volunteering as a health educator in Africa, and learning about new technology and its roll in the booming economies of India and China. Not sure how all these details will unfold - but that is part of the fun. My flight to Singapore is already booked – the rest I’ll take from there. At the conclusion of this year of globetrotting and whetting my appetite with different career ideas, I’m sure that I will realize more than ever what a very small world it is indeed. I’m sure that I will see many of you again on our personal and professional journeys.
I wish you every success and happiness in your
future endeavors. Please do stay in touch, and send my note and info on to all those I have inevitably missed.”
And thus, it all began……
