Life is a Rollercoaster ride...
...and with sharp turns too! Yeah that has been the case with mine atleast as I have observed over the last 3 years or so. From the south of India to the North of the USA and just when I thought I ll get a brief break to return home, I am headed onward now to the south of the USA. It seems that it happens almost always when I am just settling in and begin to think that I am on a smooth course. Do you want to see a timeline? Ok. Here we go...
Turn 1: Rewind 3 years back to the Summer of 2003. Its been two years now since I have been aiming to land an admit for my Masters in the US of A. Everything seemed to be going alrite - not perfect but yet fine. I think I have applied just right. And then bang! My first two rejects in quick succession! You would think I 'd be left demoralized. I still keep the faith. I am yet to hear from my favoured university. Then I get an admit from some place else and then the reject I was dreading to get. All my dreams seem to be falling apart. I need to decide and decide fast...Do I just go ahead and take a chance with the couple ones that I got? Would it be worth it? I decide against it; the financial burden would just be too much to lay on dad. I am still unsure though as I attend interviews and take technical tests in search of my first job. I am completely unprepared. I had never imagined I would start working right after college. I just hadn't considered it.
Turn 2: July 14th 2003: Servion Global Solutions,Chennai. After a week of tests, interviews and a group discussion, I am in! Two months had passed since I had made my decision. Now if work was what I had to do, then I was going to do it well. Despite being a small organization it was a fun place to begin. Barely a couple of months later I found myself in Bangalore. My first assignment at a client's site. Thanks to my mentor it turns out to a fun learning experience. It has been five months now with Servion and I am enjoying myself, when I get an interview call from Infosys. I am confused. I was doing ok. Why now? I take it up anyways and land the job too. Barely days away from the end of my probation I need to decide between two jobs. A litte coaxing and some reason makes me choose Infosys after 7 months with Servion. An unforgettable 7 months!
Turn 3: Feb 23rd 2004: Infosys Technologies Ltd, Bangalore. I am here at corporate HQ and the only word I can utter - "Wow"! I am a little peeved though, that I have to go through orientation with lesser experienced folks because I have worked for less than a year. But it turns out to be two fun-filled months I will never forget. A week after being posted in Chennai, my hometown I get transferred to Mysore for some immediate requirement. The good thing is that I have company in a good friend from my training days. I settle in to the slow pace of Mysore. Seven months later I am slightly restless and I make it known to the "powers that be".
Turn 4: Jan 6th 2005: Infy Mysore I am informed that I need to leave for Silver Spring, MD in 10 days on a one year assignment. I arrive promptly on Jan 16th and get settled in. The next year is pretty busy. There are places to see, people to meet. Relationships to nurture :) After a fair share of uncertainity I prepare to leave around Feb 2006. Or so I thought! In a matter of hours I find myself retained for a different project. The ride goes on. Another six months go by.
Turn 5: Present Day: Silver Spring, MD I am almost set to leave in 15 days. After a lot of anticipation, my bubble is burst again. I have been asked to move to Dallas. It is not something I wasn't expecting. But the timing has caught me off guard. The ride will go on and so will I move away but its the emotional rollercoaster that I am having difficultly getting a hold on.
Should I even bother to plan ahead now, I wonder. Or should I just await the next turn...?
Turn 1: Rewind 3 years back to the Summer of 2003. Its been two years now since I have been aiming to land an admit for my Masters in the US of A. Everything seemed to be going alrite - not perfect but yet fine. I think I have applied just right. And then bang! My first two rejects in quick succession! You would think I 'd be left demoralized. I still keep the faith. I am yet to hear from my favoured university. Then I get an admit from some place else and then the reject I was dreading to get. All my dreams seem to be falling apart. I need to decide and decide fast...Do I just go ahead and take a chance with the couple ones that I got? Would it be worth it? I decide against it; the financial burden would just be too much to lay on dad. I am still unsure though as I attend interviews and take technical tests in search of my first job. I am completely unprepared. I had never imagined I would start working right after college. I just hadn't considered it.
Turn 2: July 14th 2003: Servion Global Solutions,Chennai. After a week of tests, interviews and a group discussion, I am in! Two months had passed since I had made my decision. Now if work was what I had to do, then I was going to do it well. Despite being a small organization it was a fun place to begin. Barely a couple of months later I found myself in Bangalore. My first assignment at a client's site. Thanks to my mentor it turns out to a fun learning experience. It has been five months now with Servion and I am enjoying myself, when I get an interview call from Infosys. I am confused. I was doing ok. Why now? I take it up anyways and land the job too. Barely days away from the end of my probation I need to decide between two jobs. A litte coaxing and some reason makes me choose Infosys after 7 months with Servion. An unforgettable 7 months!
Turn 3: Feb 23rd 2004: Infosys Technologies Ltd, Bangalore. I am here at corporate HQ and the only word I can utter - "Wow"! I am a little peeved though, that I have to go through orientation with lesser experienced folks because I have worked for less than a year. But it turns out to be two fun-filled months I will never forget. A week after being posted in Chennai, my hometown I get transferred to Mysore for some immediate requirement. The good thing is that I have company in a good friend from my training days. I settle in to the slow pace of Mysore. Seven months later I am slightly restless and I make it known to the "powers that be".
Turn 4: Jan 6th 2005: Infy Mysore I am informed that I need to leave for Silver Spring, MD in 10 days on a one year assignment. I arrive promptly on Jan 16th and get settled in. The next year is pretty busy. There are places to see, people to meet. Relationships to nurture :) After a fair share of uncertainity I prepare to leave around Feb 2006. Or so I thought! In a matter of hours I find myself retained for a different project. The ride goes on. Another six months go by.
Turn 5: Present Day: Silver Spring, MD I am almost set to leave in 15 days. After a lot of anticipation, my bubble is burst again. I have been asked to move to Dallas. It is not something I wasn't expecting. But the timing has caught me off guard. The ride will go on and so will I move away but its the emotional rollercoaster that I am having difficultly getting a hold on.
Should I even bother to plan ahead now, I wonder. Or should I just await the next turn...?
posted by Mel at 10:40 AM
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