atltocopenhagen

[atltocopenhagen]

An open letter to my classmates

To the Copenhagen Business School MBA Class of 2015:

We did it.

We survived the endless readings, complex business cases, countless essays, and a 60-page thesis. We did it all with smiles on our faces, and with the desire to continue hanging out with each other even after long days of classes and group projects. That in itself is a victory.

We’ve survived the year in a way that only the 37 of us can understand. 

Going into this MBA, I had little idea of what to expect. Would I make friends? Would I pass all my classes? What if it’s too cold? What even IS financial accounting?

I’ve come out on the other side feeling accomplished and confident, and I contribute this success to those 36 individuals who were by my side along the way. I couldn’t have done it without you.

We’re all going our separate ways and facing new journeys across the world, but I find comfort knowing that through this year I’ve found 36 new cities to visit, and most importantly, 36 new friends.

I cannot thank you enough.

[atltocopenhagen]

Our MBA thesis has officially been submitted! It’s been a long road, but the reward makes it all worth it. I will aim to post a proper update this week, but until then, I will be reveling in the fact that I’m almost a graduate!

[atltocopenhagen]

The Final Stretch.

Now that you’ve been briefly caught up on my life abroad, I’m sure you’re wondering what’s next. At least, I am.

They said this year would fly by, but there was no preparing me for exactly how fast it would be over. While I’m gutted that my time in Copenhagen is coming to an end, I feel beyond prepared for whatever life throws at me next. In less than two months, I’ll be moving back to Atlanta and into a house with my two best girlfriends (which is sure to be an epic year in itself), I’ll be reunited with the two nuggets, and I’ll hopefully be embarking on the next chapter of my career. 

While some looming uncertainty should (maybe) be unnerving, I have complete confidence that everything will work out. It always does.

Here’s to the final weeks of my MBA. I’ve almost made it!

[atltocopenhagen]

Summertime

It’s been far too long since I’ve made an update on here - I guess that’s what happens when I’ve been out of the country since the 1st of June! I’m finally back in Copenhagen and settled for the next few weeks, so I thought I’d post a quick update to let y’all know what I’ve been up to.

First, my beloved bike was stolen...and then stolen again...all within one week. Luckily, the walk to the bike shop helped redeem the situation:

Amsterdam happened, and I had a close encounter in the Red Light District:

Then, I trekked across Iceland for a week:

I also got to see TAYLOR SWIFT IN THE FLESH in Scotland (seriously, look how close we were):

Needless to say, this summer has been unforgettable. I’ve been finished with classes since the end of May, so my focus is now on finishing up my thesis and finding a J.O.B... (seriously, someone hire me!)

[atltocopenhagen]

Update!

Every time I sit down to post on here, I can’t believe how quickly time has passed. Mid-May? WHAAAAT? Time needs to slow its roll.

I’m currently sitting in Mergers & Acquisitions, pretending to follow along with the lesson for today, and wishing I had a snack. Forever hungry.

I digress.

I have some fun things coming up, so why not put it here so that (at the very least) Mom can know where I am in the world?

May 31 - Move into a big girl flat (!!!) for my final 3 months abroad

June 2 - Jet off to Amsterdam for 48 hours to meet up with a childhood friend who’s living in Italy (hey, Miller!)

June 10 - Off to Iceland for 6 days for a crazy excursion (& looking forward to putting my hiking boots to good use)

June 20 - Spanish friend is coming to Copenhagen for the weekend

June 23 - 18 hours in Scotland for FRONT ROW TICKETS TO TAYLOR SWIFT

My life, y’all. It’s unbeatable.

[atltocopenhagen]

Oh, Sweden, how I love you so.

Our leadership simulator last week was insane... And I wish I could come up with a better descriptor, but my words are failing me. While I’m hesitant to share too much on here should a prospective student find this tiny corner of the internet and have the ‘secret’ spoiled, I will say that the experience was life-changing in so many ways. I’m significantly more confident in my own abilities as a leader, and that alone is priceless.

As we were driving away from the site, I admittedly caught myself getting a bit emotional. The past 8+ months have led up to this trip, and for it to be over so suddenly was incredibly overwhelming. While I’m looking forward to what my future holds in Atlanta, I’m not quite ready to leave behind the life I’ve created in Copenhagen - I truly love this city and the friendships I’ve found within it. This trip to Sweden marks the end of an era, and I guess I just wasn’t entirely prepared for what that ending would mean.

Alas, here’s to making the most of it. 

Cheers!

[atltocopenhagen]

AND I can officially say I will be sitting FRONT ROW at Taylor Swift’s 1989 tour in SCOTLAND in June.

Dream life. 

[atltocopenhagen]

And since I’m way behind on my life updates, why not post twice in a row?

Here’s a glimpse into the past couple of weeks: I dyed my hair pink (YOLO), did a lot of complaining about the weather & hung out with classmates. We only have four months left, so I’m sure there will be A LOT of group photos popping up on here in the meantime.

That being said, we’re off to Sweden tomorrow as a class. That’s right, 4 days and 3 nights in the Swedish wilderness to wrap up our course-long leadership seminar. This camping simulator - per the previous alums - is supposed to be a life-changing trip. I’m a bit weary of the fact that we have to bring a bathing suit, especially with the weather forecast predicting 40s & rain, but I have the utmost confidence in the consultants that are heading up the trip. I may not be much of a camper, but I’ve made it this far & I’m truly looking forward to challenging myself and pushing my personal boundaries.

Am I prepared? Mentally, ehhhh maybe. Physically, though, I’ve packed 10 pairs of socks, so I have that going for me.

[atltocopenhagen]

Antibes, France. Where do I even begin?

My dear friend from high school, Carrie, is doing a portion of her fancy shmancy Luxury Management masters in Antibes, France (pronounce like On-teeb), and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit her for a few days last week. Needless to day, this ended up being one of THE most amazing trips I’ve ever taken.

As a Spain enthusiast, I’ve often turned my nose up at France. I don’t speak the language, the French are notorious for being standoffish towards Americans, & I personally think Paris is beyond overrated (I realize I’m the minority here). But the south of France? Holy moly. Pictures, words, memories...they will never do its beauty justice. I am kicking myself for not giving France more of my time (and that says a lot, as I’ve made it there twice since February). We ate, we drank, & we saw sights that I wish I could permanently burn into my brain. I am so incredibly thankful to have not only explored Antibes, but also to have been able to take a quick train ride to Nice and Monte Carlo... screw retiring at the beach, this girl is retiring in Monaco.

[atltocopenhagen]

While flying over the Swiss Alps today for a layover in Geneva, I had THE view to end all views. I want to go there.

[atltocopenhagen]

B-school got me like...

[atltocopenhagen]

A glimpse into the past few weeks ranging from my time in Atlanta to enduring the endless winter in Denmark!

[atltocopenhagen]

How is it April?!

These past few weeks have been insanely busy. From finals to Spring Break to beginning my thesis, I haven't had a chance to sit down & breathe. It's been a good kind of busy, but hectic nonetheless. And...I'm in the homestretch. Only 5 weeks of electives & a leadership excursion through the Swedish wilderness separate me from my MBA (oh, & a 120-page thesis somewhere in between). Where this year has gone, I have no idea. But, I'm making damn sure I make the most of these next few months because... I have decided to make my return to my favorite city & the place I call 'home' - Atlanta. All this means is that I will be traveling like a madwoman through the end of the summer. Next stop? Antibes, France...in TWO days! Thanks for following along.

[atltocopenhagen]

Greece was amazing. I had visited Athens when I was in high school, and while I definitely could appreciate the beauty then, it always has a new meaning when you're 'older.' One thing I loved about the weekend was the views (obviously). A city of 5.5M, you feel so incredibly small - a great reminder of how much is out there & how little control we have. The timing couldn't have been better. Adventuring these past two weeks has given me the travel bug again, & so the saga continues of whether or not I'll return to the US in the fall. Only time will tell...

[atltocopenhagen]

VCIC Results

In attempts to keep all (four) of you readers up to date, we unfortunately didn't take home the win in Paris. While we were able to make it to the top 3 in the European Regionals, IESE (Spain) did a great job and will be going to the Global Finals in Chapel Hill. It obviously would have been amazing to win a free trip home to the States, but I couldn't be happier with our performance. I had zero knowledge of venture capital a month ago, and now I'm actually considering it as a potential next move. Crazy, right?

Now on to the next MBA adventure...

...but first, a trip to Greece in 4 days!

[atltocopenhagen]

Paris.

We're officially in France for the Venture Capital Investment Competition, and it's been an amazing trip so far. We've seen most of the big landmarks, eaten Nutella crepes, and I had my first macaron experience - it's been quite a successful trip already!

We have a huge AirBnB that we've rented out, enabling us to conduct our 36 hours of research more comfortably. Two words - HOT TUB. 

Stay tuned for an update after the weekend!

[atltocopenhagen]

Our city. Our home.

We were warned about the possibilities of an attack, especially after Charlie Hebdo. Surely they wouldn't siege fire on such a quiet, safe city. But they did.

I was sitting on the top floor of my glass MBA building when I heard the news. Not even two minutes later, my phone pinged with a text from Mom. "Please respond that you are okay." As I closed the curtains to my classroom (just in case), the headlines began flooding in. 

An act of terror.

This has got to end. We will not live in fear. We will not succumb to the violence. Today, we are all Danish.