18 months at bschool

Why today ? - the first question that came to my mind when I opened my blog. I mean it has been 18 months since my last post. So much water has passed since then - I am six months away from finishing school, the talk around is about exchange programs, visiting exotic foreign locations and career plans, Obama won the election again and the Indian team is doing so badly that I stopped following the matches. So what has prompted me to visit this blog and start writing a post ?.

Today has probably been the laziest of days in the entire semester. I haven't touched my course work and haven't even started the last paper that I have to submit. However, in a way I am more relaxed than I have been in the past six months. So I thought of taking a moment , a step back to reflect on business school over the last 18 months.

Life in Chapel Hill has truly been great. A friend of mine once said "what you feel about your life is closely tied to the place where you live and the people you share it with". I see the merit in her argument. I fondly remember the day I met a bunch of other students in Mumbai to start our bschool journey. Ten people who till then haven't met each other embarked on the arduous journey through London to reach UNC. Some of these have now become close friends. Their presence has certainly made my stay in Chapel Hill worth while.

And Chapel Hill, what can I really say about it? I haven't lived in a much calmer place in my entire life and surprisingly I have enjoyed it thoroughly. Agreed it is not a Bangalore or San Fran but CH has a charm of its own. Be it the pubs on Franklin, the cafes and eateries in Meadowmont, Balaji temple in Cary or the Indian restaurants around it; this place has gave me a life and memories that I shall carry with me for a long time.

Come June 2013, I shall leave school behind me forever. The magic of money, big city life and comfort of bigger houses will take precedence and I shall be part of a life long rat race. The road looks long and looks challenging. However, on a rainy day when I sit back with a cup of tea in my hands (and probably a marie biscuit :) ), I shall think of the people and the place that made my MBA a pleasant journey. I shall think of my friends and I shall think of Chapel Hill.