When I returned to the States, it was business as usual. I made sure to see all my friends, I got back into work, and I picked up where I left off. Not much had changed in my absence, but Lubbock tends to have that effect on life. The city doesn't move, and your friends are always there when you need them. The only way to initiate change in a city like Lubbock is to do it yourself. And, by God, I tried.
During my final days in Australia, I was contacted by Globalinks Learning Abroad (formerly Australearn) to apply for their Alumni Ambassador Program. I had recently been turned down from a position at Tech, and, after a few weeks of thought, I decided to give it a try. When one door closes, another one unlocks. It is, however, up to you to open it.
At the same time, work began to pick up pace a bit as well. We were notified that we were switching to a sister company, and that we had to re-apply for our current positions. A friend of mine had been promoted to manager in another department, so his position had opened up, giving me the opportunity to make a promotional move. I was granted the first interview of the entire series of interviews, so, cut me some slack if I was a tad nervous when I got to the room.
Fortunately, both applications went very well, and I was accepted to be an Alumni Ambassador with Globalinks Learning Abroad, and given the promotion I was hoping for at the hospital.
As part of the Alumni Ambassador program, we were flown up to Denver for orientation. It took me back to studying abroad. I forgot how much I missed traveling to a new place, meeting new people, and doing new things. I didn't know any of these students when I landed, but now, I am fortunate enough to call them my friends. How many people can you stand around with at 1:00am, laughing at the fact that the fire department has just rolled up and the hotel manager is smoking a cigarette? Not many, but we did.
So, with school starting on Monday, I have been charged with inspiring the collegiate minds to studying abroad. I am to share my story with the masses, in order to create a more international university, and, as a result, world. It is a daunting task, that's for sure. AND, on top of that, I have been given the added responsibility of my job promotion. It doesn't necessarily mean longer hours, just different stuff to do. I'm pretty excited for this fall. Good things seem to be through this unlocked door. I just want to make sure that if I walk through it, I enjoy it while I'm there. Because, no matter how hard you try, you will never stop opening doors. Just make sure that you've done everything you want to do before you open the new one, because once you do, you may not get the chance to go back.
Have a great school year, everybody. Good luck and have fun!
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