I'm here and I cannot believe it! We have discussed this possibility since November and now it is actually coming to life. I feel like I won't even accept it until tomorrow when I get to the office, but for now I am sitting in my room in Gurgaon determined to write AND keep up with my blog!
For those of you who are new, welcome to the Adventures of Catelyn. I know it's kindof a generic name for a travel blog, but it stems from a special place. See the "Namesake" section at the bottom of the main page to learn more.
So let me catch you up...where to begin. Probably with the reason I am here: to train a group of 13 new hires in India, get them up and running on the phones for our customer care team and send them on their way to going live. For those of you unfamilar with Cvent, this can be an extensive process. Our product is complex and every caller has a different need. It takes several months to train someone to be able to answer all kinds of questions from our clients. I am here on the tails of another colleague, Jess, and our VP who have been with the group for 6 weeks and I will begin my stay with a few weeks of classroom training to go over our more advanced features and then work with my team to mentor the group on the phone. There is a lot that goes into it and I am excited to get started! More info to come as it moves forward.
Spent last week in a whirlwind late night laundry and packing, "goodbye" lunches and dinners and trying my best at work to prepare for the unexpected. It all came down to Friday as I was packing my final items from the office and getting nervously excited for what was to come. I think the best advice I recieved was to "Go with the flow" and that is exactly what I plan on doing!
Alex came to town Friday night and we went out with the group (you know who you are!) for my last taste of red meat--a big juicy burger with sharp Irish cheddar cheese at Shebeen's. We called it an early night and spent Saturday morning making final preparations and last-minute additions to my bags. We said our tearful good-byes before heading to Regan National.
Today's travel experience could not have gone better. I arrived with plenty of time to spare and my bags were WAY under the max. 50 pounds (which means I can buy a lot of gifts!!). We boarded early on one of the smallest planes I have ever been on (it had actual propellers) and arrived in Newark 20 mins ahead of schedule. In New Jersey, I made friends with a man who was travelling for the first time to India for his company and another young professional who grew up in India but studied in the USA. We shared stories and advice.
I got a window seat next to two very nice and non-imposing row mates on the plane and enjoyed a tasty meal of chicken and rice. The 14 hour flight was completely uneventful. I finally had the opportunity to see "The Descendants" (Worth the acclaim!) and for a lighter movie "What's your Number?" (actually cute for its category). I slept for 6 - 7 hours with no issues at all and awoke just in time for breakfast and a view of the mountains as we made our way to Delhi.
We landed an HOUR early...when does that ever happen these days?! Customs was a breeze and I headed straight for Costa Coffee to get myself a little boost (much needed and actually tasty!) to wait for Javed. He met me right where he said he would and helped me bring my bags to the driver who was waiting in the parking lot. I don't know what I would have done without him! I jumped in the back seat of the car and reached for my seatbelt--DAD skip to the next sentence--and there was no buckle! "Don't worry about it," said Javed. "This guy is not going to go that fast."
We made our way down the highways passing all sorts of unfamiliar vehicles and weaving in and out of honking cars. We pulled off and followed under the tracks of the Delhi metro until turning into the guarded entrance of the corporate apartment. Cvent has an apartment on the 7th and 10th floors, bringing the room count to a total of 12. I moved into the back room on the 7th floor. It's right next to the wifi, is away from the common area and has it's own bathroom. What could be better?
I dropped my stuff and went to the 10th floor to hang out with the rest of the Cvent group. Jamie is here from Client Services too, so we will both be working the East Coast shift AKA the night shift. Puni (the cook) made us some hand cut "Finger Chips"--french fries with chili and salt. Julide, Kevin, Chris and Louis arrived home from a weekend trip and we ate a delicious pasta dinner.
After enjoying the company for a bit, I made my way back to the 7th floor to move into my space. The power went out twice, making the apartment pitch black for a few minutes, but quickly turned back on. Note to self: buy a flashlight.
I am all settled and figured I would work on the blog for a bit, make final preparations for tomorrow and then call it a night!
Click Here for more pictures of the apartment. I am sure there will be so much more to share next time!
For those of you who are new, welcome to the Adventures of Catelyn. I know it's kindof a generic name for a travel blog, but it stems from a special place. See the "Namesake" section at the bottom of the main page to learn more.
So let me catch you up...where to begin. Probably with the reason I am here: to train a group of 13 new hires in India, get them up and running on the phones for our customer care team and send them on their way to going live. For those of you unfamilar with Cvent, this can be an extensive process. Our product is complex and every caller has a different need. It takes several months to train someone to be able to answer all kinds of questions from our clients. I am here on the tails of another colleague, Jess, and our VP who have been with the group for 6 weeks and I will begin my stay with a few weeks of classroom training to go over our more advanced features and then work with my team to mentor the group on the phone. There is a lot that goes into it and I am excited to get started! More info to come as it moves forward.
Spent last week in a whirlwind late night laundry and packing, "goodbye" lunches and dinners and trying my best at work to prepare for the unexpected. It all came down to Friday as I was packing my final items from the office and getting nervously excited for what was to come. I think the best advice I recieved was to "Go with the flow" and that is exactly what I plan on doing!
Alex came to town Friday night and we went out with the group (you know who you are!) for my last taste of red meat--a big juicy burger with sharp Irish cheddar cheese at Shebeen's. We called it an early night and spent Saturday morning making final preparations and last-minute additions to my bags. We said our tearful good-byes before heading to Regan National.
Today's travel experience could not have gone better. I arrived with plenty of time to spare and my bags were WAY under the max. 50 pounds (which means I can buy a lot of gifts!!). We boarded early on one of the smallest planes I have ever been on (it had actual propellers) and arrived in Newark 20 mins ahead of schedule. In New Jersey, I made friends with a man who was travelling for the first time to India for his company and another young professional who grew up in India but studied in the USA. We shared stories and advice.
I got a window seat next to two very nice and non-imposing row mates on the plane and enjoyed a tasty meal of chicken and rice. The 14 hour flight was completely uneventful. I finally had the opportunity to see "The Descendants" (Worth the acclaim!) and for a lighter movie "What's your Number?" (actually cute for its category). I slept for 6 - 7 hours with no issues at all and awoke just in time for breakfast and a view of the mountains as we made our way to Delhi.
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| My room for the next 8 weeks! |
We made our way down the highways passing all sorts of unfamiliar vehicles and weaving in and out of honking cars. We pulled off and followed under the tracks of the Delhi metro until turning into the guarded entrance of the corporate apartment. Cvent has an apartment on the 7th and 10th floors, bringing the room count to a total of 12. I moved into the back room on the 7th floor. It's right next to the wifi, is away from the common area and has it's own bathroom. What could be better?
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| The Living Room |
After enjoying the company for a bit, I made my way back to the 7th floor to move into my space. The power went out twice, making the apartment pitch black for a few minutes, but quickly turned back on. Note to self: buy a flashlight.
I am all settled and figured I would work on the blog for a bit, make final preparations for tomorrow and then call it a night!
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| My Blogspot |
I am so excited for you! Another great travel experience. Your job sounds wonderful and many great people to meet. I also like your apartment. Your trip to the Ganges sounded like so much fun. I bet it was beautiful! Great food too. I love indian food. You are getting your fill. Enjoy every minute and stay safe! Love you! Aunt Kristin
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