Somehow I was taken by surprise.

I thought I have a bit more time to decide if I stay on the project or not. But then I was approached with an offer for a new role in the training team, taking up more management tasks, shaping a role for me and that they want me to stay longer on the project as I add value. So what do you say to such an offer from one of the client's managers just trying to really sell you the role? You have to be "politically" correct about it, even if you have no clue of what you say.. You say thank you, sounds really interesting, I will think about it.

And then..? Then you have to start putting pros and cons down and thinking what do I want? Do I want to stay in a by now "cosy" and comfortable environment or do I want a change and a new challenge not knowing where I end up? Do I want to leave an environment where there are people who support me and help me grow? Do I want to go deeper in the training area or do I want to work more with numbers?

I was definitly taken by suprise. I talked to some people. I still have to talk to some more. Not sure. Not now or am I? What is the best for myself, my upcoming promotion, my interest?

I keep you posted... might be another full year in Basel...

It smells like...

SNOW

Snow flakes are tickeling my face.

Finally.

I love it.

Closing 2006, starting 2007

Trains are good for thinking, ordering your thoughts. Letting ideas cross your mind. Sitting on the train back from Tyrol to Zurich gives me about 4 hours of time with myself, time to think about the old year and to look ahead.

This was 2006

Work
Nearly a year ago, I started at my current project. New to the job, excited and at the same time afraid of what will come. I had my ups and downs, moments of frustration, but I had also a great learning experience there. I was able to develop new tools and to position myself in a new environment very well. Working with people who believe in you, give you responsibility and freedom, and also the appraisal you deserve helps you grow. I really enjoyed my job in the last months and also to put in the extra hours to make it work.

Private Life
Nearly 4 years of relationship and 1.5 years of living together… wow that’s a major achievement, I guess. Time goes by very quickly and also very smoothly. No big arguments or times when we can’t stand each other. Not a lot of “fights” over small things. Are we too harmony driven? Or is this just a consequence of the freedom we give each other, the respect and trust we have for each other? We do enjoy our time together very much, but we also enable each of us to have his/her own life to fulfill one’s personal interests and needs outside of the relationship, even if sometimes this is not easy for me if it means Fabian is away for a couple of weeks.

I achieved one of my last year’s New Year’s resolutions. I lost about 7 kilos and I am proud of it, having done this for myself and nobody else.

I have had also great times with family and friends. Celebrating my dad’s 65th birthday and inventing a birthday song for him with my sisters, spending quality weekends with my oldest friends (girls you are great!!) back in Tyrol or flying to Vienna to visit one of them. Having my parents and sisters over in Zurich and showing them my life there. Despite the distance, we see each other often and I will continue the effort of going home every 4-6 weeks.

We had friends over at our place, be it an Austrian cooking evening or raclette or Älpler Maccrone or just a beer in the evening. I like to have people over, if our flat is used as a meeting place. A discovery of the year was also Oberer Letten – Sunday picnic breakfast down there, BBQs with friends, evening swims or football matches; great cappuccinos and special ice-cream.

I became an Incluso Mentor and started to Mentor a young immigrant girl during her search for an apprenticeship.

Then in autumn we went on holidays to Abu Dhabi… the longest holiday together so far. Great time to relax!

In a nutshell..
2006 was a smooth year, no big changes, I settled down a bit more. It was a great year with a lot of enjoyable memories!


What 2007 will bring

Work
Last week I joined the training team on our project. I will work in this team for about 80% and the other 20% I stay in project management, mainly in the planning and budgeting area. A totally different and very female driven team. A new learning potential. So at least until end of March I will stay on the project. My feeling is that this will become longer… as the client does not like to let me go.
Then my consultant promotion is coming up end of August. I am quite confident that I will make it, as I do get a lot of good feedback and I will have people from the project standing up for me in the promotion decision meetings.

So no big change in work?

I don’t know. After creating the idea of KITA plus I somehow stopped to think about it and setting it up and becoming self-employed. I think I suppressed it as too many fears or concerns came up inside me while thinking about it with which I just did not want to deal with.
Lately I started to consider it again. I wrote down what my fears are (just before on the train) and what the things are which would make me happy about doing this. I scratched down ideas on financing models and my next steps in this area are the following:
- Reading the KITA guide and drafting a costing model / starting the business plan
- With a draft business plan looking for a counseling meeting at the official KITA association.

I definitely will stay with my current employer for the next year as I enjoy my job. But it is never wrong to keep one’s eyes open and start a business plan.

Private Life
Having friends in different countries is an advantage. As I have not traveled so much during the last year, I want to take the chance to visit at least a couple of them. So Dean (Leeds), Bianca and Sebastian (Berlin), Sue and if possible Ulli (Vienna) are on my list. If you read this… you should here soon from me to fix a weekend J

I also would like to make a trip to the Cote Azur (Nice etc..) in May over one of the prolonged weekends with Fabian. Fabian if you read this… let’s fix a weekend soon ;)

I might be looking for a dance course in Zurich on one evening per week. I do miss dancing and it always was great fun and helped me to relax.

Relationship wise… you cannot plan too much, you can only hope and work on it that love stays and the rest we will see.
There are also some major milestones coming up for Fabian. He will graduate in autumn and his 30th is due in October. Book yourself the weekend of the 19th for this event! Celebrations will be going on.

Let’s see what the new year will bring! I am curious…