Welcome to India!

So I guess this crazy trip all started late last summer when I was getting restless in my last few classes at school.  I was due to complete my degree program through University of Phoenix in November, 2011, and it could not come quick enough.  I was praying every day for God to give me guidance on what I should be doing with my degree... Do I stay at Maersk Line, the company I have loved since I started 11 years ago even though there is not a lot of opportunity in Houston - and I had been doing the same thing all those years? Or do I branch out, keep an open mind, and look for something else? I left it in God's hands, asking for guidance often and prepping for degree completion. 

November finally arrived.  It was an exciting month.  My friends and family threw a big party and we had a great time.  My colleagues at work had a special day planned with food and a beautiful keepsake engraved. I was proud that I had stuck with school even going through a divorce and raising Savannah through her early teenage years. I was glad to be an example to her and hoped it inspired her to go to college sooner than her dear old mom. It was a wonderful time and led right into the Christmas holidays and onto 2012.  All the while, I was still praying for guidance in my career.  "OK, God.  I am 35 and done with college now.  What's Your plan?"  (I might or might not be a bit impatient.)  I was looking on the internal job portal at work to see what else was out there.  I tried to be open minded and looked outside of The Woodlands office and even went down by the Galleria for an interview... oh, how that drive would have killed me.  But nothing jumped out, so 2012 crept in and I celebrated the degree once more on a week long cruise with my closest friends, Savannah, Robert and Mom.  Then I traveled to Charlotte, NC for some training.  The training was called Leading Others and it renewed my passion for leadership and customer service. (Sometimes a bit over-zealous in my methods, sometimes over the top in voicing my opinion, but the bottom line is that whatever I was fighting for was either for my team, or for my customer, and it was worth a battle, if necessary.) One exercise we ran through was a coaching session, and as the "victim" in this one, I discussed my desire for something more in my role and wanted to work on some career-pathing. 

When I was back in the office after that training and self-reflection, I sat down to chat with my director about what a beneficial week it was and how I would like to focus my search on roles that suited my passion - customer service and/or leadership.  No individual contributor roles for this girl, unless I knew the road led back to my foundation in CS or leading.  We had a good conversation and then the subject changed.  In October of 2010 we were advised that some tasks currently handled in our team were transitioning to a team in our Global Service Center in Chennai, India.  One task was the diversions process and the supervisor of that team had been heavily involved in the transition, just keeping the rest of the management team informed of progress.  My team was responsible for their own diversions and we did not have their work on the radar for transition, knowing any handover of work would have its share of hiccups and it was best not to burden our high profile customers until the process was smooth and we could seamlessly transition their needs.  Apparently while I was out of the office, the transition had gotten bumpier and the customers were suffering.  Dennis asked if I would be willing to travel to Chennai and help guide the team for a week.  I was excited and ready to go.  What an awesome opportunity - an international experience for work!  

After working closely with Rhonda at work to secure a visa and travel details, Danielle to keep my kiddo and dog, and Deidra for some quick hitter diversions refresher courses, I hopped on a plane (ok, 2 planes) and made my way to Chennai.  Nearly 24 hours later I was on the southeast coast of India at nearly midnight on a Monday.  I wish I could remember all my initial reactions to relay, but I can't.  I remember being so tired and not knowing where to go to find my driver.  The hotel was sending someone to pick me up and he was to be holding a sign for me to easily identify, but I did not see him anywhere in the droves of people waiting out front holding up signs and waiving me over to take their car where I needed to be.  In a bit of panic mode, I called my contact at the ML office, Harish.  I am not sure exactly what he heard in my voice when I called (fear? exhaustion? sensory overload?) but he called the hotel on the other phone and I heard him tell them "The driver is not there. (pause) Tell him find her! (pause) She's AMERICAN - what do you THINK she looks like?? She can't be that hard to spot!"  Even in my state, I knew that was pretty funny as I looked around.  He was right.  I kind of stood out.  And minutes later, the driver found me.  Imagine that.  

The week was wonderful. The team was open and kind and full of excitement to gain the knowledge I brought with me.  I had a terrific time, although I did not get out to see the city much at all.  Friday I did go to an Indian lunch with Harish and Shrimohan. We shopped for a Sari for Savannah, got mendhi on my left hand and found some souvenirs to take back to my team. After only about 2 hours of sleep we went running around in the heat all day and then went to work that night. I don't know if the lack of sleep set in and deliriousness was in full effect, (I was working over nights - NAM, North America, hours and as the week progressed I got less and less sleep), but I never laughed so hard as I did on that Friday shopping trip and luncheon.  The team made huge progress by having someone there to fill in the blanks in the process and help connect some dots that were not making sense.  I received many e mails and IM's while I was there saying what an upswing the process seemed to be taking in my few days of presence.  It was terrific and fulfilling.  I left a happy leader, and I made some new friends as well.


Upon my return back to Houston, I had an e mail from my vice-president of customer service thanking me for the trip and advising that he understood the director of the One Team (the team I had visited and worked with) was looking for a long term NAM representative to join his team for a year plus and asked if I was interested.  I chuckled to myself.  "Umm, no.  I don't think so."  And then laughed again.  But I was not quick to reply as I was catching up on more pressing e mails and put it on the back burner with many more.  Two nights later, I woke up in the middle of the night and knew I was supposed to be in Chennai.  I am not sure why, but God laid it on my heart.  I replied back to Henning the next morning and told him I was open to discussions.


That was early March.  It is now mid-July.  Savannah and I are in the hotel, listening to the endless honking on the nearby busy street at 7 AM on this hot Saturday morning.  We are adjusting to the time change and started the school visits and apartment hunting yesterday.  We will continue our efforts today, in a few hours.


Emotionally, I am wrecked.  Seeing our home of 15 years packed up last weekend was more than I was ready for.  Telling my best friends, the man I love, my nieces, my step-son and my parents that I would see them in December broke my heart.  I cried on the plane a dozen times for what seemed like no reason to anyone else.  But I would hear a song in the iPod that reminded me of something or someone and I would cry.  A baby in the row ahead of us would smile and it reminded me of my sweet Kameryn and I would cry.  I closed my eyes and saw my empty house again and I cried.  Changed planes in Frankfurt, talked to Michael, texted Mom, and cried.  I figure this crying thing (which is pretty out of the norm for me) should pass.  I hope it does, anyway.  Savannah doesn't understand it and the only thing I can tell her is I am OK, just adjusting.  After 35 years of living in the same 7 mile radius and always having my friends and family within a few blocks, I am on the other side of the world.  

I know God has a plan for us.  There is a reason for us to be here.  I am not worried or scared.  He worked out every step of the way for us to get here... opened doors and provided opportunities that would not have otherwise happened without His touch.  I stand firm that this is where we are supposed to be.  But the adjustment will take us some time.  I will not be too proud to ask for your prayers.  Savannah has been much stronger than I could have ever imagined.  She has made me so proud and I tell her often.  I am pretty sure she is tired of hearing it, especially since it is often through tears.  "Really, Mom?  Again?"  That's her most used phrase these days.  


So... that's how we got here. Savannah and a handful of my friends have dubbed us the Indian Princesses. So these Indian Princesses better get moving to eat some breakfast and explore our new city and try to find the place we will make our home for the next two years.  I will try to keep this updated with our adventures along the way.