And the Beat Goes On

So it’s been a good while since a BLOG post! I am alive, so call off the search parties. Life has been action packed for the last 3 weeks, never a dull moment, and that’s just how we do it here at CIMBA. Every day is packed with things to do if one so desires: go to class, study, eat, cycle, play bball, intramural soccer and futbol americano, and there are always extra-curricular seminars and workshops going on.

LEAP is a leadership development program which started up recently. It is optional to take part in LEAP, but I would highly recommend it for the value-added activities we get to experience. My favorite part of LEAP is the one-on-one coaching. Students meet with their coach once a week and work on their personal strategies including goal-setting, personal mission statements, and action plans for the future. The coaches are all CIMBA staff members, which is cool because we get to know them a lot better, and there is a mutual comfort level. Also included in LEAP is a resume workshop. We are currently receiving assistance in solidifying our professional resumes from coaches who actually review resumes in their international business careers. As an added bonus, our completed resumes will be sent out to a huge list of international companies affiliated with CIMBA. I saw names like Heineken and Guiness on the company list, so if you play your cards right = employee discounts!

The academic pace has picked up in the last couple weeks, with quizzes and exams coming at us left and right. Everyone has been working with a little added stress, but life is still good and people are happy. Classes are great because the professors don’t believe in loading us up with tons of busy work. If you attend all of your classes (which is mandatory) and give your full effort and attention, school isn’t a worry at all. I find it fun, because we are learning material that is finally relevant in the real-world. I have seen topics from Business Law class show up in Marketing class and Management class. I am starting to see the big picture of the business world come into focus, which can be partly attributed to being abroad. When in a new continent, your curiosity and thirst for knowledge seems to accelerate. I now pay more attention to politics, economics, culture, and businesses than I ever did back home. While in the U.S., it’s easy to ignore what’s happening in the world, because it all seems so far away. In Europe, all of these countries and cultures are packed in together, making for a great learning experience.

We had a night of Intramural Football on the local soccer field. It was a blast! Most students participated, and co-ed teams are always a fun time. There was a little slice of America in Italy here for a few hours. It felt good. All the guys reminisced about the football glory days of old as we played into the night under the lights. My team had it “going on” that night, and we finished 4-0. WHOOO!!!

Intramural Soccer also just finished up. We played under the lights on the outdoor basketball courts for two COLD nights in a row…brrrrrr! It was a great time. This CIMBA class has some amazing talent in soccer, and we are gearing up to play the Italian high schoolers with whom we share the campus. We will play on the “Jesus Field” as it’s called because of the 20 ft statue of Jesus overlooking the complex. It should be a pretty intense match-up. We have age and size on our side, but we’re on the Italians turf and soccer is one of their national sports.

Surprisingly, I’m not tired of pasta yet! Just when I think there’s a menu repeat approaching, the cooks out-do themselves again and pull new tricks from their sleeves. I’m going for a record in the CPC (clean-plate club), as I have devoured every morsel of every meal for 3 weeks straight. I have even acquired the nicknames “garbage disposal” and “mooch” because I always offer to help classmates lighten their trays. The dishwashers appreciate the effort Cycling just has my metabolism flying right now, so I enjoy the luxury of eating as much as I want. Gelato is also a regular treat, either here in Paderno or in the neighboring town of Crespano. I have run across some amazing flavors: tiramisu (famous in Italy), cioccoloto doppio (double chocolate), mint choco chip that blows away American equivalents (Mom, you would be in heaven!). There is even a gelato treat that comes complete with fresh fruit and a shot of local liquor!

Kupe and I have had great cycling adventures with our 80 year-old friend Ron and friends. The other weekend, we took a Sunday morning journey which sent my rookie cycling career to a new level. We had a four-man group consisting of me, Kupe, Ron, and Raymundo, one of Ron’s buddies. Raymundo is just as amazing as Ron is. He is 75 yrs old, has had heart bypass surgery, and rides over 200 km a week! Kupe and I were giving it everything we had to keep up with the two stallions all day. We pedalled west to Bassano del Grappa, where we turned North and followed the beautiful Brenta River through the mountain pass. It was like we were back in Switzerland, with forest and rocky peaks above us. Literally every turn was a postcard shot. We went through dozens of quaint Italian towns which appear to subside on the river, making little contact with the outside world. It’s so cool seeing life happen on a sunny Sunday morning in small town Italy. Everyone is smiling, families are together, and everyone is walking or biking. Inspiring lifestyle, unlike any place I’ve ever been. We ended up on a bike path that follows the banks of the Brenta all the way through Austria and into Germany. Had we remembered our passports, we would have pushed onward! Instead we came upon a cafe/pasteraccia only reachable by bike path. It was like an underground cycling community, and I really gained a deeper understanding and respect for the sport. Cyclists cycle because they love it. It’s healthy, you feel great about using clean fuel, and you absorb the world around you frame by frame when on a bike. Harley guys can understand where I’m coming from, same idea of freedom and open road. I love the components of cycling: passion, discipline, adventure, focus. I’m convinced that cycling is the reason guys like Ron and Raymundo look 15 years younger than they are, and they’re mentally sharp as tacks. We had our mid-ride ritual cappuccino and pastry in the warm sunlight overlooking the river. Quote of the day: “THIS is la dolce vita!” (the sweet life) - Ron. I couldn’t agree more. 
On the ride back to Paderno we found ourselves in the midst of a 30-person pack all jockeying for position. For those familiar with NASCAR, the same drafting aerodynamics apply in cycling, which adds a lot to the mental side of things. We were clipping through corners at 50+ km/hr
(30 mph). Competitive juices were flowing through everyone involved, and our group held its own among some pretty solid cyclists. Kupe led the whole pack for a long stretch, representing the Hawks! I witnessed an 80 year old Ron pull out his world champion fire and sprint to the front of the pack from midway back. It was like the rest of us were standing still! He’s unbelievable. When we finally finished our day, we realized we had covered 92 km (57 miles) in 4 hours. Needless to say we were burnt, but it was the most rewarding feeling I’ve ever had. I’ll never forget that day.

Kupe and I took the opportunity to share the cycling experience with the rest of CIMBA, and we rented 5 bikes from a local shop in Castelfranco. Ron is long-time friends with the owner, and it wouldn’t have been possible without him. This past week we led a handful of group rides around the local area, and we now have in essence a “bike library” on campus, its awesome! People can now enjoy amazing scenic views, run errands, take trips to neighboring towns, and get some great exercise Bike rides allow people to realize just how awesome the Veneto region is. It’s great to travel all over Europe, but at the end of the day we have some of the best landscape right here in our back yard. Towns like Asolo with ancient castles and cobblestone streets can’t be found anywhere else in the world, and it’s 30 mins away by bike.

Well this captures about 10% of life in Paderno. Someday I’ll write the full book.

Until next time, Stay Classy America.