Over the Vicenza Hills

Week -1: This is me

I am going to……nope…………I will be living in Italy for the next three months!!!!!! My company, Mohawk Global Logistics (MGL), has selected me as the first employee for an one-for-one exchange program with our Italian counterparts, Visa Global Logistics. So I will be working for Visa Global and Francesca, the Visa Global employee selected for this swap will be working for MGL.  There’s a small catch…………………..I have to write this blog about my experiences. I am not much of a writer, especially when it is scholarly or work related. So I have decided not to hold back and write this blog for my colleagues, friends, family, and acquaintances that may be interested in learning more about me, Therese (Pronounced Theresa) Straigis.  It’s all or nothing when it comes to this Redhead!

What am I doing?!?!?! For three months I will be working for Visa Global Logistics, as a sales representative targeting Vicenza, Milan, Rome, Naples, and Reggio Emilia areas.  I have never worked sales in my life!  Let’s not forget my “ladylike” manners and Italian are a little……..rough? I was really nervous when I first discovered MGL wanted ME to sell their services. But after a few breaths in a paper bag, I realized I can do it. MGL would not select me if they didn’t think I could and I believe in the product I am selling. Who knows perhaps I will enjoy it! I am also very competitive so I am gonna try to see how many leads I can out squat…..opps……..I can make into clients! I am looking forward to this challenge and facing the unknown! I would say I am rolling up my sleeves and ready to get down and dirty, but everything I own is sleeveless!

This is the busiest time of the year for my department, the Business Development Team (BDT), so jetsetting off to a foreign land for three months is nerve racking. The months leading up to this week has been stressful preparing my team to be gingerless and soulful without me! But my last week in Syracuse I distanced myself from the day to day and realized I have a rocking team! They will do amazing and I have no choice but to let go of the rate sheets, start sipping wine, and start a new chapter! But really I am a Whatsapp away……!

This opportunity could not have been timed better for me personally. A year ago I told my husband I wanted to end our marriage. Through counseling we decided that dissolving our marriage was the best for our relationship and us individually. When I was selected for this program I was finalizing the divorce from my best friend. It has been a trying year. In fact it has been the most exhausting emotional rollercoaster of my life but I am so grateful I chose to ride it out. I learned so much about myself, my best friend, and most importantly I am in a place in my life can move forward with no more guilt weighing me down.  So now I am ready for a different ride……apparently I’m leaving on a jet plane!

What better way to close a nine year door and open another into the mountainous land of Vicenza? I am a planner by nature but gonna try something different and embrace the theme of not knowing. I have not planned any trips to specific places.  I will plan excursions as they come!  I do intend on eating my way through Italy. The only other plan is to lift my way through Italy.  Crossfit and Olympic Weightlifting are a big part of my life.  Crossfit 315 has been my lifeline this past year. Before seeking counseling, it was the Crossfit 315 community, my MGL lunch crew, and physical fitness that got me through the first six months. It is also the space that lets me be me: loud with a whole load of crazy. Before Crossfit, exercising was a chore that had to done to stay active and in shape. But because of Crossfit, exercising is not something I do for my health. I do because I love it! It just so happens it has a positive side effect of amazing physical health! So leaving Crossfit 315 for three months even for Italy is kinda daunting! Luckily for me there is a Crossfit box in the same plaza as the Visa Global Vicenza office!!!!! Now I am soooooo excited to experience Crossfit Italian style!  Plus my wonderful host, Simone, has already planned some outdoor activities that will help curb my Crossfit addiction!

So this blog is about my new chapter….. selling freight…..and lots of sightseeing in Italy.  I hope you enjoy the ride, it will be bumpy!

For this trip I will be living in my Italian counterpart’s apartment and she will be living in my apartment. Francesca arrived in Syracuse last Saturday, so I was able to meet her before I left!

What do you pack in your carry-on bag? My carry-on suitcase for the next 3 months living in Italy contains all my essential workout gear. Because if I lose my bags at least I can still lift!

What do you do before boarding on a plane? SINGLET SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!  Went to my favorite place for one last workout with some of my favorite lifting buddies at Crossfit 315!!!