The end of a long week

Our first week of school finished with a chat from Barry Libert.  We were very kindly invited to his house  and he spoke about his life, his beliefs and his approach to business.  What I have really valued this week is being exposed to leaders and speakers with different styles and approaches. I feel very privileged to have heard their experiences - both good and bad, and appreciate their willingness to share.

Enough of the reflective stuff.  To lighten up the end of the week, we decided to eat, drink, chase firemen and hold the inaugural 2010 indoor chair race.   I don't have photographic evidence of everything but...

Wellesley is a DRY town - in order to get a drink you have to order food

Our little rag tag group 

Nibbles and Fireman 1

Nibbles and Fireman 2

How excited does Nibbles look!!

 I let Toni win the first race - the next race will be mine

What I saw today

Unusual footpath decorations

MacD's nacho's - big enough to feed all 10 of us

Mmmm burger

Our ride home

First day of school

An early start this morning for our first day of school. We even took a little picture of ourselves but the camera didn't focus :(.  We'll try again another day.

We filled our Babson travel mugs with triple strength coffee and set off just before 7am.  Although we have been profiled as risk takers, we allowed an hour travel time for a 17 minute journey.  

Obviously time aware risk takers.

On arrival at College, I managed to lose my newly purchased 'cell phone' as soon as I walked through the door, so a big thanks to the reception staff who rescued my poor little lost phone and returned it safely to me.  

What a start to the course, we were dumped head first into a business simulation that had my head spinning.  Small teams, stunningly decorated corporate HQ offices for each team and a lovely lunch.  Although lunch couldn't be fully enjoyed (or photographed) as we were ploughing thru financials, setting production levels and determining manufacturing zones.  By 8pm we had eaten pizza and finally finished for the day.  

Not the healthiest dinner but there are veggies on it!

Back to it tomorrow, bright and breezy at 8am.  My first day driving in the US tomorrow - fingers crossed.

Boston Arrival

So it’s 4.42am on the 12th September in Boston, and I am awake. (again, another late posting!)

Despite a delayed take off from Heathrow (they just had to get someone with a big wrench to hit something apparently) we arrived in Boston on time. 

I managed a few hours sleep on the hottest flight ever but was ever so thirsty as the air hosties were hiding most of the flight and water was hard to come by.

Immigration was the usual trauma. Slightly sweaty, very thirsty and a wee bit tired I joined what seemed to be the longest line in the world.  After an hour it was my turn at the desk and clutching my handful of papers I proceeded with caution.

“What you here for ma’am?” the nice immigration man said.

I gave him the well rehearsed – Saltire Fellowship, Babson College, learning to become an entrepreneur spiel. 

He looked me over – I’m sure he could see the sweat dripping down my neck (did I mention that to avoid paying extra luggage I had worn way too many layers of clothes?).  Was he going to stamp my form?

After a few more questions, profusely sweating, I had my fingerprints scanned and a stunning photo – complete with greasy hair, and smudged eyeliner, stored into the big computer in the sky, I was allowed to enter the US.  WOO HOO.

It was a slightly tense time waiting for the last of our group to clear immigration (he got a special interview room and everything!) we were finally all thru, bags collected and marching onward to find our hire car.

My first view of Boston - at least the sunset was pretty

I have to give it to the car rental guys, they really tried hard to upsell.  Apparently the car we had hired was so small it was designed for oompa loompas and without the additional roadside insurance (which would have been an extra $1000) we would have to change our own tyre if we got a flat.

We stayed strong and decided to go for the oompa loompa car and fingers crossed I won’t have to learn to change a tyre.

It turns out they didn’t have any oompa loommpa cars anyway so we got to choose whatever one we wanted.  MacD made a swift and wise choice of a Honda sedan – a huge car that managed to fit not only her golf clubs and all our luggage but my bike as well.  Happy Days!

MacD drove our family sized Honda and we followed T.B to our apartments in Natick.  They did a splendid job of navigating motorways, toll plazas and very fast cars – golf clap for the drivers!

So I sit in my new room at a silly o’clock in the morning, wide awake knowing that if I don’t go back to sleep the week is going to be hell.  

Unable to sleep, I have rifled through the bag Babson College left us. Maps, umbrella, coffee travel mug and a rather hefty stack of reading for Monday morning. Maybe if I start reading it now, I’ll be able to get back to sleep…

P.S.A huge thanks to whichever of my fellow Saltire Fellows rescued my bike from the baggage carousel. 

I'm off on a wee adventure!

I'm leaving Orkney for a bit to explore the world a little more. On my travels I will be learning about entrepreneurship at Babson College thanks to the Saltire Foundation Fellowship.  Along the way I hope to meet lots of new people, see new places and eat lots of great food.

Bye (for now) Orkney... 

Boston here I come!
(ps a windy day in Orkney that's why my hair is horizontal)
(pps - finally got around to  posting this - I left Orkney on the 10th September)