Lately, I have started to think of the last two years as having been the weirdest period of my life. I never had time to get used to a new situation, one in which I had to reschedule and redefine my short- and long-term goals. I have always thought critically about my career and even when I was totally in love with my job, I needed to improve my background by adding new tasks.

The continuous need for new challenges is probably part of my personality and it will hardly abandon me, but I am glad to see how it helps me in frequently reconsidering my condition and searching for new paths.

This feeling, my personal feedback about my work and my aspirations, led me to start the International MBA at MIP, choosing the Part-Time edition because leaving my job was never taken into consideration. The first half of this two-year program made me work, study and have fun with several classmates who gradually became close friends.

Meanwhile, the slow restarting of society brought new work opportunities; the company I work for recognised the positive effect of the MBA in my approach to complex issues. After spending a few months in Nigeria for a new project, I was offered a move to the U.S. to follow up another one, but this time with a coordination role.

Well, it didn’t take that much for me to take a decision, so I am here writing about my experience with a seven- hour time difference, in a new city, trying to get used to several new habits and really regretting that I have forgotten to bring my moka pot and some Italian coffee! I mention the time difference because it has been causing some issues, considering that when I wake up every morning more than half of the working day in Italy has passed and when I am done with my job, it’s already late at night over there. The MBA requires us to share and discuss most of the assignments with our classmates and this used to happen right after work, in the early evening. Now this is not feasible during the week, so I have had to concentrate these activities into the weekends.

However, I am glad that the connections I have made with my classmates are helping a lot; I have found some who spontaneously organize separate calls to help me, and who spend time supporting me and trying to ease the difficulties of being so far away.

On the other hand, I am facing some problems in attending the lectures, since they start when it’s 2 a.m. in the U.S. and last until 12 p.m. Trust me, it’s an extreme effort to wake up at that time and to keep focused during the classes. I have tried it − your mind is not yet ready to be productive (at least, mine isn’t…). I therefore have to use all the flexibility that this MBA can offer, by watching the recordings of the classes on the following day and asking for any clarifications I need on the subjects from my classmates, professors or our Program Officer. There are now only a few courses left for me to do and I am sure I can make it with my commitment and the help of everyone around me!

Finding a new job that suits and really challenges you many times per day is not common and to honour it, it requires concentration and patience, but also courage and audacity; these are qualities that I’m working hard to demonstrate to myself. While not taking a single backwards step in studying for the MBA I am just mastering the management of my time, my energies and my will, mostly when I am late with some deadline.

Well, everything that happens unexpectedly helps us in effecting change in ourselves while facing a new situation, a new environment or new habits. I am in Texas now; I eat wonderful meat, I drive for too long to go anywhere, I cannot find a good place for an espresso coffee, and I nod to people talking about sports I have never played (I don’t even know the rules), while just few weeks ago I was in Milan organizing dinners with friends, going everywhere just on foot and trying to convince myself that drinking American coffee was cool.

I am excited to see what is going to happen next − the future does not look so bad!

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