For Spring Break, my b-school bestie and I went to London, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast (Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri). It was such a great time to stop thinking about school (too much), celebrate our internships (we both got our first choices!) and to just enjoy the freedom that business school allows you to travel, make friends and learn about who you are and what you want to do with your life.
Reflections on London:
I ended up loving London a lot more than I thought I would. Originally our "pit stop" in London was just to save on airfare (it was cheaper to fly to London then to Rome then to Rome directly). I'm so glad it worked out the way it did because London was such a welcome breath of fresh air. The beauty of the historic buildings, quaint alleys, and charming shops and people added so much color to our trip. In London, we saw all of the touristy stuff like Parliament, Big Ben, the National Gallery, Borough Market, the bridges, Tate Modern, Harrod's, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey but also had some time to explore small shopping districts and try out British fare (like fish and chips and meat pies!).
Reflections on Rome:Rome was okay. The city was very interesting in that it was littered with historical treasures amidst new looking buildings. I feel like if you just wandered around the city, you'd hit landmines of important landmarks every half mile. I think would have appreciated Rome more if it weren't so touristy and/or if I was more of a history buff. Since I'm not, I was able to enjoy the beautiful sites but didn't soak in as much of the culture as I had thought I would originally.
Reflections on Amalfi Coast:
The Amalfi Coast is definitely the highlight of our trip - Sorrento and Capri especially! These two cities felt like they've been put into a time capsule that has protected them from all that is ugly and bad in the world. The people were charming and nice and the scenery was unreal. I'm not sure if I'll make it back to Italy in the next few years, but if I do, you can bet your bottom dollar that Sorrento and Capri will be on the itinerary.Now that we're back for the final term of our first year (still can't believe it...), I've been hit with the harsh reality that b-school is almost half done for me. CRAZY! It's been so easy to fall into the student lifestyle again, but I'm also really excited about interning this summer for a lot of reasons.
1) MONEY!! My bank account has a strong negative correlation between funds and the time I've been in school. Luckily, I've found some part time work to help dampen the downfall a little bit, but I'm really excited about the financial boost that this internship will provide (for more traveling!!).
2) It's my dream job. Literally. When I left Genentech 5 years ago, I swore that I'd be back and now, it's a reality (for at least a summer)! The company has changed a little bit since I left, but I am the same -- I feel very blessed to have this opportunity, the same one I set my eyes on 5 years ago.
3) It's in the BAY!! After living in NYC for the past 9 months, I've definitely come to love the city, but there is nothing like home. SF has become home for me and I am so excited to be able to spend this summer in the company of friends, family and, of course, H.
Love,
V
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