I remember my first solo trip to Europe. My bags were packed 2 weeks in advance. I had all my bookings in place at least a month earlier and I was super ready way in advance. And that was for a 3-week trip. However, a few days before moving permanently out of my home, I still hadn’t thought about what to take with me! My bags were not packed, my pre-work wasn’t finished and I hadn’t secured a temporary place to stay until our apartment in Lausanne was ready. Just the thought of this made me stress even more.
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Since my acceptance to IMD in March and up until my last day at work, the whole IMD experience felt surreal to me. I was overwhelmed by excitement for having made it into this prestigious and unique school. I would need to familiarize myself with the country and get to know my future classmates and flat-mates. But it hadn’t really hit me that I would be leaving an entire life behind; family, friends, and places that I might not be able to see again.
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Leaving your job after years of working 60+ hours a week can be too much. Having too much free time after struggling to make time for a haircut was not an easy transition. But I chose to spend those few weeks making lasting memories with the people around me. I enjoyed barbecuing with my family, playing with my nieces, going out with friends and ex-colleagues as much as I could.
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December made me realize that I didn’t have too much time, I barely had enough to say goodbye.
Mohammad