Small Town Durham

My day: got up at 10 after a very late night, doctor's appointment, read some Social Entrepreneurship at a coffee shop, go running (55 degree weather on January 19th), sit outside for a while and just chill, happy hour with the MBAA Career Cabinet and the CMC career counselors, then trivia at Dain's.

I am happy to announce that team "Unemployed. So What? F-U" (i.e. Liz, Ashanka, and me) is the proud winner of tonight's contest. With Liz's knowledge of western states and feminism, Ashanka's movie expertise (yes, she's from India, and yes, she dominated), and my sports knowledge, our team was perfectly balanced.

We won a $25 bar tab, but unfortunately had already tabbed out. So what options did we have, given that the kitchen was closed? One obvious choice: tequilla shots, and milk and cookies.

I say all of this to make a point: living in Durham and going to Fuqua is a blast. Dain's is a true neighborhood bar, and it takes me about 5 minutes to walk there from my apartment. Dain, the owner (in one of the photos below), is always at the bar and hanging out with the patrons. Before trivia we had some really good conversation - on microfinance and Indian politics - and tried our best not to talk about our job searches, which is what most people at school default to in conversations. It's a great feeling to be around friends who are supportive of each other, and who don't judge or require explanation when I say "no, I don't have a job yet."

I'm very lucky to be part of this community and to have made such good friends. It's a bit sappy but 100% true... if I had gone to Chicago Booth, I'd probably know more economics. If I had gone to Berkeley, I'd probably have some pretty good friends and be more connected to the Bay Area (but not by much). But I can't imagine having a better social experience than what I've had at Fuqua.

I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately about what I've learned in the past 1.5 years. Ironically, business school has taught me so much more about myself (values, goals, interests, passions) than about "business." My goal for this semester is to make sure the academic piece is tended to, but I'm quite satisfied that the "personal growth box" is checked.

Quote of the night:
Trivia Guy: What state first gave women the right to vote?
Liz: WYOMING!!!
Ashanka: Whoa, are you from there?
Liz: No, but I am a feminist.
Me: Whoa.