Business Class

While studying abroad, I had made a promise to myself that I would secure a full-time job that allowed me to travel for work (and blog, duh). For this reason, I decided to work for W.W. Grainger – the leader in the MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) industry – through its Financial Development Program. My role allows me to rotate through various finance functions and exposes me to different parts of the company’s business. With a lot of persistence and even more patience, I can finally say that I have accomplished another goal that I’d set for myself. This blog post is coming to you straight from the Czech Republic! :)

But before I hopped onto a Business Class flight to Europe, I was assigned work related to our Canadian business – Acklands Grainger. These assignments took me to the cold, mining-dependent cities of Thunder Bay and Sudbury where hockey fans and Canadian accents were a dime a dozen. These trips, once again, reminded me that the American way of doing business is not the standard way of doing business in other parts of the world; and that different countries have different customer bases, needs and product preferences. Check out some photos from my two trips:



Palladium Mine - Thunder Bay, Ontario



World's Largest Nickel - Sudbury, Ontario

The European experience is no different; Grainger deploys a slightly different business model here than it does in the US or Canada. I’m currently on an assignment with Fabory – a fastener business Grainger acquired in August of 2011 – understanding the Shared Services processes.  Since I don’t come from an accounting background (let’s face it, Finance is the better major :D), my time here can be synonymous with a crash course in  “Everything You Ever Need To Know About Accounting…Yes, Taxes Included” – aka: a steep learning curve.  Despite actually having to work while here, I’m enjoying my stay! The people of Fabory are warm, welcoming and a pleasure to talk to! I’ve even learned the typical Czech greeting – Ahoi (think pirate talk). Pictures of the office and my co-workers to come soon!

But let’s get to the real exciting part – the TRAVEL! It took TWO years but I’m finally back in Europe!  Ah it feels so great, even though I’m here for a little bit and wish I were accompanied by my favorite travel buddies!   

We flew through Germany into Vienna, where we spent the weekend. So many study abroad memories came rushing back, as I walked down cobble-stoned streets, passed the grocery stores I would normally shop at and observed the exquisite European fashion the streets (more like runways) had to offer. The first day in Vienna, I took to exploring solo (my colleague wanted to catch up on some sleep), mastering the metro, asking strangers to take touristy pictures of me and of course, shopping! That night my co-worker and I had dinner on the Danube River! Beautiful! 

ST. Charles' Church - Vienna, Austria

Dinner at Marina on the Danube - Vienna, Austria

The next day, I took my co-worker to the city center and showed her Vienna’s greatest treasures (as I had been here before). We managed to hike 1000 meters (ok, exaggeration) to get to the highest view of the Schobrunn Palace.  The workout was definitely worth the view! Later that evening we had a relaxed dinner, on the Danube again, and were driven to Brno – the second largest city in the Czech Republic. 

Typical jumping picture at Schobrunn Palace - Vienna, Austria

In the two days I’ve been in Czech, I’ve managed to sight-see, eat like a local and cheer on the Chicago Bulls to a win against the Miami Heat! Enjoy the pictures below (caution: there are a lot of me eating!) and I’ll try to update this blog as often as I can! 



Hilton Danube - Vienna, Austria

Mock-up Cathedral - Vienna, Austria

EXPLOSION Sculpture - Vienna, Austria

Chai Latte & Dessert - Vienna, Austria

Eating delicious Goulash! - Brno, Czech Republic



“Those Who Haven’t Seen the Alhambra, Haven’t Seen Anything”

I was able to live out this old Spanish saying this past weekend, in Granada.  Friday, after classes, a few friends and I hopped on a bus and traveled some three hours to see the Alhambra and everything Granada had to offer.

Let’s rewind a bit.

My friends and I chose Granada because we thought it would be an easy “practice run” in preparation for our future trips.  Little did we know that no matter how close or far a location, how expensive or inexpensive, planning a trip required LOTS of work. And I mean A LOT. There was a time, last week, when I began thinking being a travel agent was my full time job. Everything from booking transportation to hostels to activities needed meticulous detailing. Nonetheless, it was an informative crash course in adulthood and traveling.

Back in Granada, CR, AJ and I settled into our hostel at 10PM on Friday night.  We picked an ideal location just seconds away from the Alhambra Palace.  Afterwards, we took a long walk (downhill) in search for a late dinner. On our way up (a very large, steep hill), we noticed how fortunate we were to be lodging right on top of a mountain, overlooking all of Granada.  The lit-up town was beautiful from where we were standing.

 The next morning, our group was reunited for an early morning tour of the Alhambra.  With very few people roaming around the palace at 9:30AM, we pretty much had the palace to ourselves for five solid hours. 

The Alhambra, in all its magnificence was much more of a colossal edifice than we had imagined. Starting off in the Nasrid Palaces, we made our way through the Mexuar, Comares and Palace of the Lions – each built in three different time periods by various Muslim rulers. Next, we explored through one of the oldest parts in the Alhambra, Alcazaba, an area used for military purposes in the 14^th and 15^th centuries.  Here, we climbed up the Round Tower and the Watch Tower (each with calculated heights enhancing the strategic location of the Alhambra) and allowed ourselves to enjoy the breathtaking view.

After making our way through the luscious Generalife (plant life), we headed toward Plaza Nueva, the center of Granada.  Bubbling with life and personality, Plaza Nueva was the nucleus of diversity and artistic creativity.  Displaying handcrafted tile mirrors, carved wooden pieces and intricate jewelry, the stores and people of Granada retold the age old story of how Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in harmony under Muslim Rule. 



HI MOM! This is the closest I got to the Court of the Lions since it was closed for restoration.

Aside from visiting the Alhambra, I had the opportunity to visit the chapel where Queen Isabel and King Fernando are buried, shop in Espana’s most high end stores and enjoy the most delicious FREE tapas (a tradition throughout Granada), all weekend long.

Dessert Heaven

For those of you that know me, you know my middle name is “Dessert Aficionada.” From cakes to candies, cookies to chocolates, you name it, I love it. But the quickest way to my heart is a bowl of Ice Cream – any flavor, preferably cookie dough, will do.

I’m glad to report that I feel right at home with the various bakeries strategically located in the streets and alleyways of Sevilla.  Step into any one, and you’ll be greeted by countless breads, tarts, pies, doughnuts and other Spanish delicacies. Made with simple ingredients (fruits, nuts and grains), the Sevillanos have a great talent for presenting their treats in the most exquisite manner.  I literally gawk at the desserts for a good five minutes – drooling with mouth wide open – before I select my indulgence for the day.  If it were up to me, I’d order one of everything, EVERYDAY...unfortunately, that would mean giving up a trip to Florence or Prague.

My roommate and I ventured out for a late afternoon walk today with the intention of shopping for a few necessities; though in all actuality, we both were in search for one of the many locations our abuelo (grandfather) described to have the best churros in town. After wandering for what seemed like a good 45 minutes, we stumbled into Gran Plaza 19. There, on the wall, was a big sign that said: Churros y Chocolate. JACKPOT! Our excitement gave off the “Americanos Locos” vibe as the waiter annoyingly traded a plate of churros for our Euros.

We quickly found a seat outside of the café and…well you can see what happened next. We inhaled those churros in about 120 seconds, max. SO DELISH!

I sense many more gastronomy-related blog entries, as I start traveling to different parts of Spain and Europe. Plans are currently underway to book plane, train and bus tickets for locations outside of Sevilla. I’ll keep you posted!