For the past several days, I have been in the Middle Kingdom. Hangzhou, specifically. Why, you ask? For my very first business trip with the Firm. While I was in college, I was incredibly fortunate to have had some great work experiences, including international travel for business purposes. But I have never been on a trip quite like this one. It was the New Consultant Orientation, (NCO) for short and they flew in 50 new recruits from seven countries and four regions for 3 days of boot camp. Suffice to say, it was utter madness. Try to imagine college, but on crack. Replace dorm rooms and cafeteria food with 5-star hotels and buffets almost at every meal. And an expense account. As nervous as I was about the trip, it turned out to be an incredible few days. Meeting counterparts from different countries, hearing about their projects and the incredible scope of what our firm actually does. Sixty years ago we designed the strategic plan for post-war restoration for a major European country, which today is a powerhouse in the EU. I met the head of our Financial Services practice who, for the last 10 years, has been redesigning central banks for South East Asia. That.Just.Blows.My.Mind. I think one of the most gratifying parts of my job is that I really feel like I add value to the world. Standing on this side of the job hunt, I’m so glad I didn’t go into Finance. It’s just not the right place for me. As my friends in the industry say, it really is a circular business. Money begets money. But in our line of work, our products are literally our ideas.. and that is just so cool to me.

So clearly, I’m bubbling with that kind of bright-eyed, bushy-tailed enthusiasm of freshmen. But I really don’t care. A few months ago, I had very little ideas on where I might wind up, and the job hunt seemed endless. I’m incredibly thankful not only because I have a means of supporting myself, but I’m part of an overall team whose leadership I believe in and am eager to follow. The partners are men and women if great integrity, vision and a sense of humor. There is such a culture of mentorship and down-to-earth-ness. I could not have created or imagined a better starting point for my career.

Suffice to say, NCO was a great success. I got a chance to get to know some of the senior management and leave a positive impression (I hope.) Our team performed incredibly well, which was so awesome to see, considering we’d only met 72 hours ago. I really believe that the managers used our performance as a benchmark for the other teams. And may I just say, that when the first word a partner says about your presentation is “wow,” it makes all the sleep deprivation worth it. Ten times over.

In short, I am unbelievably, deliriously, deliciously happy and content with how life has turned out, especially after such a difficult summer. All that remains is for Christmas to be on its way, for my brother and all the ones I love to come home.