My Kinda Town!
As the great man once said..my kinda town, Chicago is....I don't yet know if the same will hold true for me, but only time will tell!
Those of you who know me well, will know that it has been a long time dream of mine to emigrate to the US to live and work. I have visited the country many times and always found the people to be very welcoming and the lifestyle & attitude, one that appeals.
Since the Hewitt takeover at Bacon & Woodrow, that dream took one step closer to reality. Over the 31/2 years since the "merger" I have worked very closely with my US colleagues and formed some very strong bonds both personally and professionally, and so here I find myself with an opportunity to fulfill the dream.
I have accepted a job in the Global Support Centre, managing a team of 15 or so associates, as part of a bigger support team of over 90, supporting our internal customers across the world 24 hours of every single day. I will be based in Lincolnshire, just outside of Chicago, Illinois. I have visited the office there once before and spent a few days in the "Windy City" kicking back and relaxing, and have to say that it was an interesting city that I am looking forward to discovering in greater depth.
For those of you less well travelled people, Chicago is in the "mid west" on the Western shore of Lake Michigan. It has some very distinct seasons, unlike our UK weather, where it gets very cold in the winter, and, I am hoping, very warm in the summer. All of the golf clubs I am looking at actually close their courses around October/November and don't reopen until March; but there's always skiing!
Those of you who know me well, will know that it has been a long time dream of mine to emigrate to the US to live and work. I have visited the country many times and always found the people to be very welcoming and the lifestyle & attitude, one that appeals.
Since the Hewitt takeover at Bacon & Woodrow, that dream took one step closer to reality. Over the 31/2 years since the "merger" I have worked very closely with my US colleagues and formed some very strong bonds both personally and professionally, and so here I find myself with an opportunity to fulfill the dream.
I have accepted a job in the Global Support Centre, managing a team of 15 or so associates, as part of a bigger support team of over 90, supporting our internal customers across the world 24 hours of every single day. I will be based in Lincolnshire, just outside of Chicago, Illinois. I have visited the office there once before and spent a few days in the "Windy City" kicking back and relaxing, and have to say that it was an interesting city that I am looking forward to discovering in greater depth.
For those of you less well travelled people, Chicago is in the "mid west" on the Western shore of Lake Michigan. It has some very distinct seasons, unlike our UK weather, where it gets very cold in the winter, and, I am hoping, very warm in the summer. All of the golf clubs I am looking at actually close their courses around October/November and don't reopen until March; but there's always skiing!
I have already started to make plans for selling my car, packing up and renting my flat, finding a new place to live, and have been checking out the local facilities. "Furnished" apartments come in at around $1000 pcm for two bedrooms and most have swimming pool, gym, etc all on site. All very exciting!
I have many friends in the UK and Europe, scattered far and wide from my travels and as their lives have grown and changed too, and thought this would be a good way for us to keep in touch if they were interested.
I know that it will still be a bit of the, to use a quote from a some very good friends of mine, "same shite, different night", but I know whatever happens, I will look back on this as the opportunity to live my dream and will never regret it.
I hope that many of you will keep in touch and visit, I intend to have a spare room for anyone who fancies a change of scenery..I might even persuade Charlie to break his duck and come to the US!
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