1 year on ...

As of today, it's been exactly 1 year 1 month and 21 days since I have arrived in the US. So how has the journey been so far...To begin with, it was a first for me to work directly at the client location in US and that too on a contract. Working alongside the americans in my team was an experience by itself.

In my earlier assignments, I did interact with the clients in the US but then it was mainly done over the phone. Offshoring as the phenomenon is called which is what India is famous for and the bugbear which riles the west. So here I am working with the same people in their country, getting to know them and their culture.

Mind you, it's been a very cherishing and rewarding experience so far but then it also has been a painful one. In terms of knowledge, I have learned things which I never thought I would. The first 2 months were really hard but then I persisted. There were times when I just wanted to let it go. So what were my options? It was either a fight or a flight syndrome.

I decided to chose the latter for I believed that fortune favors the brave. I had to learn to take on my fears headon .I worked on my weaknesses with the ultimate aim of converting it to my strengths. It wasn't an empty rhetoric but it wasn't easy either. When you start working through this maze you start believing in yourself.The maze, yes that's the word I have used coz I felt lost and had to find a way out of it.

So where do I stand today. Honestly, I don't have an answer but yes it's definitely a lot better than what it was when I started. As the new year rolls by, I fervently hope and pray that this new found spirit will guide me and stays with me :)

(Image courtesy: http://www.kiplinger.com/kipimages/special_report_ledes/investing-outlook-2011.jpg)