Trained out

I did it! - I've survived this week of training at "Core Consultant School." It's a right-of-passage required training for my level, and although it's not rocket science, it's a challenging jampacked series of modules, group activities, and more-or-less required social events for 4.5 days. An exhausting week overall, but rewarding too. Other than one other training center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this center in the Chicago-area is the main training facility for my company world-wide. The international mix of consultants from various groups is fascinating. My group within my section had a Spaniard, a Swede, a Japanese, an American-born Thai, and then me (I'm getting used to being a minority as a blond white American ;)

Throughout the week, we simulated running a project, complete with creating a business case, conducting scope management, dealing with budget issues, serious role playing for program management and client meetings, calculating KPIs, adjusting resource loading/planning, etc. Although we had to rush through some content, and it was frustrating to have to present hurriedly collected material, I am really impressed with the overall success of the week. I did learn a lot, about my company, and myself, and now that I've "drank the water" as some people call it, I'm all psyched to be part of my company (that might change when I actually go back to work on Monday though :)

The highlight social event is the Thursday night pilgrimage to a bar called "Cadillac Ranch" in the nearby, uh, suburbs? woods? From my impression from coworkers, I thought it was a company-owned facility that was basically a bar in a barn. Instead, it's a local bar that my company practically takes over ever Thursday night with people from training, and it's sort of saloonesque with a karaoke room in the back. I didn't sing any karaoke on stage, but I did sing along in the crowd, and let me tell you, when we sang "Livin' on a Prayer" (see previous posts) I was psyched!

We get to the bar by piling into large school buses. Yes, large yellow school buses. It was awesome (oh yeah, and we brought beer onto the bus). When we got there, I was first put off by the $5 cover charge (I mean, really), but that was recovered when I found out that cocktails (rum and coke was my drink for the night) were $2.50. Can you believe that? It definitely contributed to the flashback atmosphere of the place to have such cheap drinks.

I arrived around 10:30pm, and 6 cocktails later, left on the "last call" 2am school bus. Not too miserable today though - just tired. Right now I'm packing up my dorm here, and heading to downtown Chicago for an evening out with coworkers. We are going out for tapas at dinner, then various bars/clubs, and crashing at the W hotel (yay points! and Eleeza, your time will come. I promise. They really should build a W in Vegas first though ;)

I fly back to SF tomorrow to help host a dinner party at a friend's house. It's sort of odd, but after only traveling slightly over 1 week for work, (following 6-8 weeks at home), I'm already homesick and looking forward to getting back to my life in SF. For anyone wondering, I'll be back at my local client for a few more weeks at least.