Where in the USA was Jen

So, it's been a minute since I wrote… mostly since I was in the USA and then came back to hell week here in Lux. 

In the USA I flew first to Washington D.C., to lead a class as my last commitment to my old role. Once I landed, I notified my students that I had a car and was happy to show anyone around. This resulted in me taking carloads of Asians around D.C. all weekend. Both mornings, we began with breakfast at a diner. Activities included a Trader Joe's run, Target, Best Buy, Marshalls, and mall shopping. Attractions included the National Mall, Lincoln Memorial in the rain, fun poses with the Washington Monument, Tatte and Starbucks coffee runs, and much more. It was incredible to see the nation's capital through the eyes of people in the USA for the very first time. They were so impressed by my knowledge of America, and it was very special to be able to share my country with them. I also believe in making my classrooms inviting spaces, so I filled mine with pipe cleaners and American candies! The week was punctuated by time with wonderful colleagues from Boston and getting to know their rich personalities better. I also got to see good childhood friends and had dinner at their house. I visited with the two sisters who live in DC and was surprised to learn that their mother and another sister were driving in later that night! It was such a treat to get to spend time with those incredible women and see their families. D.C. also gave me an unexpected reunion with a college friend. He was someone I took to the Engineering Student Conference many years ago and coached to help lead the group after I graduated. He and another student not only led the group but took it to new heights and it is still running today. It was so encouraging to see the time and work I invested all alone back then multiplying. 

Other D.C. highlights included eating delicious gas station corn dogs on 4 different mornings, as well as polishing off 2.5 bags of fiery Cheetos! 

After D.C., I flew to San Diego for my first insurance conference. It was a long flight (fueled only by the remaining half bag of fiery Cheetos!) and I was nervous going into it. Saturday was punctuated with a delightful waterside dinner with my boss. Sunday was glorious- it began with a lovely breakfast with a dear coworker from Boston, followed by our tradition of mani/pedis. We went to the venue to begin our training with the larger group and ended the day with a nice Cinco de Mayo themed dinner, with a poolside margarita thrown into the middle for good measure! It was an extremely intense few days of a conference, with a lot of time on my feet and talking! But it was with an absolutely amazing crew, and doing work I love, which made it mostly worth it… even if my feet hurt so bad I couldn't fall asleep some nights! The week was punctuated by a delicious taco dinner overlooking the water. The spicy shrimp taco and the scallop bacon taco were so good I went back for them twice! Additionally, I had a crew at Ghirardelli for sundaes three different nights :) The last conference afternoon there was a bit of downtime, so I was thrilled to head out to the water in a kayak. And luckily- I didn’t fall in! 

The day after the conference ended, I stupidly had an 8AM call with the UK. After that, a glorious catnap, finished with an absolutely delightful bagel breakfast with a coworker. No one does a good bagel and cream cheese or an iced coffee drink quite like America. It was simply amazing to relaxedly eat a delicious breakfast overlooking the water with good company. Sometimes it's the small things that bring the most joy. In between all the emails, I realized it was too beautiful a day to waste, and I booked myself a Groupon harbor cruise. It was full of military history and ships, and a beautiful time on the water. 

Friday morning, I woke up at 4AM, got ready, and called in at 5AM to one of my favorite engineering classes who were in Boston! It was so nice to see their wonderful faces! At 6AM, I got on the Pacific Surfliner, headed to LA! My entire time in the USA was wonderful filled with meeting students. I met several in D.C. and LA, and it was truly rewarding to be remembered by them. I'm so grateful for the many who made the effort, driving into the office, rearranging travel plans, and even emailing all of engineering in the office about my arrival! I poured a lot of my life and soul into teaching, with little thought for what I'd receive back,  but the hugs and smiles and shared times with these engineers made the extremely long hours’ worth it. After a  delightful LA Ops day with so many of my students, one of them dropped me off at a bus stop, and I began the ride to downtown LA! 

I was able to extend my California trip by a few days and get to see my parents and John in LA! An event had brought them to Cali, and it was so nice to get to hang out with them for a few days. Mom and I got breakfast together, Dad got us all street vendor fruit cups, and it was lovely to see them for a few days. 

In typical Anand fashion, I followed up the crazy schedule of travel, with a crazy schedule back. I flew out of LA on Monday, landed in Lux late Tuesday afternoon, had a project site meeting with a vendor Wednesday morning, left for a 2pm tooth extraction, but rejoined for dinner, hosted movers at my place beginning 8AM Thursday morning, and ended the week with unpacking and settling in. Here's to hoping there's not too many more jam-packed weeks like these!