Painting Day in Manchester..

Painting in the dark - Utrecht

Cultural Day in Manchester Office

Saying Our Goodbyes

The trip is coming to a close and it is with a heavy heart that we leave our EMEA team mates.  We are hard at work on our report out from this experience.  It is my personal goal to try to capture some of the hospitality, camaraderie and team work that we experienced this week.  A new page for Amsterdam Photos has been created and a Manchester page will follow shortly.   As we dig through our accumulation of notes, images, videos and memories we will try to share broadly.  

I want to thank my team mates that traveled with me for nearly half a month.  I think we were only alone for bathroom breaks and sleep.  It was an incredible experience that we took full advantage of each and every day.   You are both wonderful and I hope to see you again soon. 

Many many thanks goes to our mentors Johan & Simon.  They crafted a flawless itinerary that shared portions of the business I never knew about.  It also included quite a bit of fun. Thank you for opening your homes, hearts, offices, cars, and sacrificing personal space so we could get a little glimpse of your country.   

We cannot forget all of our co workers that helped share in our journey.  Thank you to everyone that participated in the tours, meetings, presentations, cultural day, arts and crafts and all the other activities we experienced.  This trip would not have been as much fun without you.  I know sometimes the group feels small in their new offices but you are far from it.   Your efforts were massive and it meant the world to me.  Thank you so much. 

Finally, WELCOME.   This isn't a good bye post.  You can't get rid of me that easily.  Now that I know all the awesome things that come from the EMEA region I am hungry to learn more.  I look forward to working with you and hopefully see some familiar faces in person in the future.  

The Bronte Parsonage - Not what we thought it would be

We set off quite early for Howarth where the Bronte sisters parsonage is housed and we had some misty weather over the Yorkshire Moors to accompany us. Seemed appropriate given the fact that the writing styles of the famous sisters is considered by most to be quite dark and depressing.

We got there and what greeted us was a little village which seemed to have frozen in time.

We got a private tour of the facility by one of the curators of the museum and she shared with us some unseen and rare artifacts of the Bronte family which are not only priceless but also gave a good glimpse into the lives and times of the family. Right from the father, Patrick to the brother Branwell. Who were equally talented in their own right but never gained the fame of the sisters.

After an enriching couple of hours at the museum, we decided to have a spot of lunch at the quaint village market eatery before heading back to Manchester

The drive back through the hilly roads was equally picturesque and winding. With the rolling hills and the little sheep dotting the landscape till we hit the motorway, we did not feel the rigors of the drive. Even though Simon was driving :-)

Manchester was ready to reveal it's rich heritage to us by the time we got back. Starting with the John Reynolds Library and it's amazing Gothic architecture.

We took a walk around the bustling city and realized that it is not given it's due credit for the rich cultural heritage and is often only associated with the industry that it supports.

By this time of course we had had a long day and we were ready to put up our poor little feet. 10 days of constantly being on our feet is taking it's toll. I daresay, there is more in store for us. I promise myself to keep going at this journey. Hungry for more. 

Beware of Bikes

Amsterdam October 27th 2015

We wrapped up our first half of Amsterdam with a trip to the Heineken Experience.   Saying goodbye to our first team was bitter sweet as we knew that we would be seeing them again in a few days.   The weather was beautiful and the tour of the city was cheerful and entertaining.

Mimicking the "Three Regenetesses of the Leprozenhuis"

Front Left: Raffe, Ashley, Gostav, Tapash, Johan, Osmunda