Remembering the Pillars of Faith

I’ve started running again. No—not on the crazy streets of New York (be honest, you were thinking of emailing or calling me to tell me that’s not safe…) As a student, I have free access to the University gym, and while it may not be the most state of the art gym (at least that’s what people tell me), it’s great for me. As long as I time things correctly (i.e. get there by 7 a.m.), I can get a treadmill and run. I’m working my way upwards in terms of distance and did 4 ¼ miles this morning. Running on a treadmill provides a very tangible gauge of progress—you can see when you are able to run faster, farther, …
I say all this not just to ramble, but because I find when I’m running that I often come up with some profound thoughts. I’ve heard people say the same thing about ironing (though I try to stay away from that one if possible). Somehow, even as I’m trying to make my body push through its momentary discomfort, my mind finds a way to think outside of the limited set of topics it is afforded by virtue of classroom demands.
And so it was this morning while I was running, and I started to think about steps of faith and the Lord’s provision in response.
Two weeks ago in church, the pastor paused during the offering time and asked people to stand who needed a job or apartment or other very tangible, very present things. I stood. For those of you who may be wondering at this point, no, I don’t need a job tomorrow. Yes, I’m still in school, and yes, this is a two-year program. But the job search roller coaster is already climbing toward the crest of its first peak, and the free fall, so to speak, is just about to begin. Resumes, networking events, company presentations… they are all firing through my brain along with standard deviations, debt-to-capital ratios, and balance sheets. I know that, as with everything else in my life, this job will come as the answer to prayer and through avenues that I cannot even begin to anticipate right now. That’s the faith element. But there is also an action requirement—to the extent that I can, I have to engage the process. It’s always a two-way street.
So, I stood in church as a step of faith, trusting that the Lord is going to provide and that my job in two years may be the result of an interaction in two weeks.
As I reached about mile three this morning on the treadmill, and was reminded of that step of faith, I started thinking about some other steps of faith in the last year, and that’s when this post really was formulated.
When we talk to people about what we’re doing right now, there are two general categories of responses. I find both of them frustrating. The first tends to be skeptical or worried—“aren’t your grad schools in different states?” (i.e., do you know you will have to live apart?) “Are either of you going to be working?” (i.e., where are you going to get the money?) “Aren’t most of the people at business school liberal?” (i.e., do you really think a business degree is going to be helpful/necessary, or is it just something rich people do for fun?)
The second response is the exact opposite—“oh, yeah, my husband and I both got grad degrees too” (yes, but your parents are both attorneys, so it would have been kind of hard for you to get out of it). “It’s probably easier for your husband to be here part time, so you don’t need a larger apartment” (you don’t understand, I actually like spending time with my husband). “Isn’t grad school great? I had so much trouble deciding between Harvard and Wharton and Columbia, but I heard that the parties here are better” (Um… Yeah, but then you tell me you better take this call from your dad because he’s the one footing the bill…)
I find these all frustrating for the same reason—being in school, for both of us, is a pillar of faith. We could spend hours retracing the faith moments along this journey—moments that date back before we were married. We didn’t really plan this, we just acted as doors opened. Yes, I am living in New York and he’s in Virginia, and no, it’s not ideal. But that was part of what we thought through as God led us down this path. And we are convinced that given all the elements that God had to orchestrate to get us here, it wasn’t something He overlooked either. It’s just a part of the process. Thankfully, we have a pillar of faith to look back on. During the 7 months before we were married, we lived apart and saw each other only on the weekends. Our relationship has already been tested by distance, and we know what the other person needs in these circumstances. The fact that we found such good living arrangements for both of us so unexpectedly is another pillar of faith. So it’s hard for me to worry about all the “what if’s” of these circumstances when I have all the “what has been’s” to look back on.
But these same pillars of faith make me frustrated when I hear all this taken for granted. Graduate school is new territory for us. We don’t even really have friends who traveled the corporate law route or went to business school. This is a BIG DEAL for us. We’re footing the bill on this one. We don’t have co-signers for our apartment, and our parents don’t own luxury car dealerships (yes, several of my classmates fall in that category). We don’t have friends in New York or know people who have lived or worked in a large city before. And no, we didn’t go to Harvard, Yale, Duke, Univ. of Penn., or Stanford for undergrad. So this isn’t just like every one of your friends and their spouse who have grad degrees. This is first generation. This is a big deal, because we couldn’t have made this happen ourselves. There are a lot of reasons this probably shouldn’t have worked out for two homeschooled kids from suburban America.
Be that as it may, it did work out—pillars of faith. Action steps as they became available. Trust that stepping out on a limb would help you see the rope swing to the next tree and not just leave you hanging.
We’re not worried—we shouldn’t be; we couldn’t have planned this if we had tried, so obviously Someone Else did plan, and I’m pretty sure He’ll keep planning. Nor are we taking this for granted. I walk on campus every day and realize that I am one of 500 people who is getting this chance out of the 5,999 who wanted to be where I am right now. I think about the job that’s waiting in October next year once law school is finished and how many people would love to be in my man’s shoes.
Beyond that, we’re not taking it for granted because there have been sacrifices. We’ve never lived on more than one entry-level salary, despite living in two of the most expensive cities in the country. Our apartment is smaller than a lot of people’s master suites and you have to climb a lot more stairs to get there. One of us rides a bike 8 miles a day to get to and from school. The other one walks 15 min. each way, rain, sun, wind… you name it. But we’re ok with all that. If you want the results, you have to be willing to push through the pain of the effort.
Just like running. Maybe that’s why I enjoy it.

I Know

It's been a while. I am sorry, for those of you who may read this blog or be interested in our goings on. But perhaps it is forgivable. I have a statistics midterm this Friday, so I've been studying quite a lot for that. We also have a steady stream of assignments due each week and various club activities have begun to pick up. Tallying the time demands together can be daunting--for example, one night this week my calendar has three conflicting events that I have yet to decide between... As I understand it, this is fairly common.
Nevertheless, the experience continues to exceed my expectations. The number of opportunities for leadership and unique learning activities are amazing and are matched by the quality of the teaching. It may be only a two-year program, but I think I'll emerge having learned as much as during four years of undergrad.
I'll try to make a real post sometime soon.

In honor of the hurricane...

Today's lessons on heavy rain:

1. Heavy storms are a lot harder to deal with when you live a vehicle-less existence. Welcome to wet feet, wet grocery bags, and wet backpacks!
2. Blue jeans have a propensity to soak up a LOT of water: 12 inches deep in water, I'm absolutely certain
3. Flip flops were not designed for walking through torrential downpours.
4. It's a lot harder to "be prepared" for anything when you have to carry all your preparations with you... This would be why I did not have my rainboots with me to walk back through the rain.
5. Sidewalks aren't flat. They have depressions in them. Depressions collect water. Lots of water. This means you get wet when you happen to slosh into them.
6. If you want to make a nice sum of money, buy a lot of umbrellas and then position yourself outside a store when unprepared shoppers suddenly realize it has started raining and they have to get home.
7. Chinese delivery guys are like postal service employees: They deliver in sleet, snow, wind, or hurricane rains. Except they don't have cars, they ride bikes.

Next time you're stuck in the rain in the city, you'll know...

Re-Surfacing

After two VERY full weeks of orientation and the initial round of classes. I thought I would share my initial thoughts on this experience, even if they are cut to a bare minimum due to the accounting and strategy reading that I should be doing.
I have been thinking all day about how to put the experiences of the last two weeks into words--how to really describe what I've been waiting for since last fall really. Let me start by saying that it has not disappointed.
I remember last October so clearly: I had not yet taken the GMAT or sent in my applications, but Zach and I came to NY for two days so I could visit NYU and Columbia. As I walked each respective campus, I just wanted so badly for the whole thing to work out--I think I knew that this was the right time for school and just wished I could know in advance that it was going to work out for me to come. The months after that visit were very full--I was working and in all my spare time (i.e., evenings and weekends) I was studying for or taking the GMAT, writing applications, proofing applications, sending applications, getting paperwork in order, and then preparing for interviews. It's easy to look back now and see how it all worked out, but I didn't know what would happen at the time. I thought it likely that I wouldn't get a spot--either because I was too young or not qualified enough or both. But, in February, the email came--I had a place at Columbia University as part of the class of 2010.
Fast forward through a lot of other details to August 17, the first day of orientation. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to meet some other students over the course of the summer, so there were familiar faces. But everywhere I looked, there were new people--all of whom were incredibly talented and had amazing past experiences. Just for a little taste, here are some of the people represented in my class of 540: a 2008 olympic silver medalist in the sabre competition; two former NFL players (they're both in my section); roughly 225 international students representing some 25 countries (if I recall correctly); 21 different languages; former bankers, consultants, non-profit directors, and teachers; and the list goes on and on. It's intimidating, really, to think about the wealth of knowledge in each of my classes.
And then there are the professors--so far I have started two of my classes for the semester: statistics and accounting. Sound boring? Not in the least--but it's because of the professors and fellow students, not the subject matter. My accounting professor is from Isreal and has a wealth of practical experience and research. He has thoroughly entertained us through the first two sessions, explaining the basics of accounting systems with illustrations like his favorite purple pens and the New York lottery. Then there's statistics--our professor has used several games in class to help us understand complex concepts of probability (how many employees would be falsely accused of taking drugs with a test of 91.7% accuracy?). Somehow, even standard deviations and correlation make sense when you break it down.
But even if the professors weren't so amazing, you can't help but learn when you're surrounded by so many students from different backgrounds. In one of our sessions on corporate goverance, the professor discussed how other countries have different systems of corporate governance, including one particular system in Argentina. One of my classmates, who is from Argentina, raised his hand and explained exactly how the system worked and its distinct advantages. Not something you learn just by reading a book. Real world knowledge? It's represented from around the world.
Has it been all roses? Well, honestly, so far, yes... but I'm not stupid--I know there is a lot of work ahead this semester. I've already begun working on the job search, and it is going to intensify at an exponential rate in the next month. The first presentation by one of my target companies is Sept. 22, and before then, I have to do a lot of research to be ready. I need to figure out the intelligent way to go about it. But there are a lot of resources here to help us do just that. You just have to take advantage of them.
I think that's the thing that has stood out to me the most, in total. I realized in the last two weeks that I've changed in two years' time. I've matured since undergrad--I'm more willing to put myself out, even if I'm wrong. I've been able to meet so many more friends in a short time than I did in undergrad or even in the last two years. So I'm excited to see how these two years build on that maturing process.
I know not every day will be rosy, and some days I will probably wonder why I thought this was a good idea. But for now, I'm still relishing the excitement of finally being where I wanted to be so badly just a year ago.

New Adventures

The day finally arrived. My two years at Columbia Business School began last Sunday night, and since then, it has been a jam-packed week of new friends, new places, and lots of promise for what will come in the months ahead. We have had orientation activities all week, starting daily at 9 a.m. with the earliest evening ending at 8 p.m. Don't ask me about the latest night...

My 538 classmates are amazing, though I must confess I haven't met them all yet. Our class is divided into 65-people "clusters" with whom we take all our first semester courses. We are broken down further into 5- or 6-person learning teams that serve as the core unit for many of the group projects that will be assigned. The learning teams are carefully selected to include members from all different career and cultural backgrounds. My team consists of myself and four guys, one of whom is from Korea and one from Italy. So far, we have had a great experience, and I am excited about learning from all of them.

Next week, two of our classes begin and then the real semester begins the following week.

It is slowly sinking in that I really am here at Columbia, an internationally respected institution with outstanding faculty and students. I think I will learn more here during the next two years than during any other two-year period. I know that the last couple years and all their varied experiences have prepared me to take advantage of this opportunity, and I plan to do just that. I know there will be a lot of challenges, but I think this is a great place to experience them.

In short, I'm excited, and I can't wait to see what lies ahead.

Our Peer Advisors (2nd year students who guide the orientation process) line the stairs every morning and cheer us into the building. There is a lot of energy and enthusiasm here! (Sorry I don't have more pictures yet... I'll see what I can find from other people)

My Best Bud and I

(From Zach)
Exactly a year ago last night, I had just finished a long day of 13 interviews with many of the best firms in NYC. That day had started very rough with the subway being flooded out and us arriving at the interview hotel pretty wet and discouraged with the start of the day. I had not originally planned to have MB come with me to NYC, but she had elected to drive to meet late at night after getting up early for a fast flight down south and back so that she could be with me. Had she not been there to hold the pieces together through the pressure of those interviews, I would not have made it through the day successfully. She literally dried me off and got me ready to go. More importantly, had she not been throughout the preceding months to dream of going to New York, I would not even have been there that day at all. Somehow, the day passed and I got a job as a result.
A year later to the day, we were sitting in a small restaurant in the Kingdom of the East (Upper East Side) having dinner with my partner liaison from THE FIRM. We had a three-hour conversation over an excellent dinner. More importantly, MB and I had the joy of sharing in the victory of the challenge we had faced exactly a year earlier. I had wrapped up a very successful and encouraging summer at THE FIRM and had accepted a full-time offer to return. More importantly, in my partner, I had developed a true friendship and professional mentor. The dinner repressented so much of how we have changed and grown together as a team. Neither one of us would be where we are today without our Best Bud to get our back. I only hope that I can the same support and chearleader that MB has been for me over the last three years as she enters the most challenging year of her life this fall as she starts her MBA. I am so excited about the chance to grow together as a team through this fall.

Two Years...

(and also, everyone needs some 'tation)

So, two years, one week, and one day ago, I was walking down the aisle and Zach was praying that I didn't change my mind and leave him stranded at the front of the church. At least, that's what he says :-) I never even thought about deserting him. No cold feet :-) The last two years have been absolutely the happiest, most adventure-filled, probably most challenging, and most rewarding years of our lives. My marriage advice (if two years gives you the right to give advice): marry someone that makes you better than you would be by yourself. I can safely say that the majority of what I've accomplished--personally and professionally--in the last two years would not have happened were it not for the amazing man by my side. So, here's to many more amazing years together!

The reason that my anniversary post is so late: our 'tation overlapped our anniversary and we ended up with an unexpected trip to Ohio to visit Zach's family. With Zach out of work for two weeks and my semester not yet begun, we had intended to spend a few days in PA with my family and then spend the remaining time here in the city hanging out. But, last Sunday morning, we decided on the spur of the moment to drive to Ohio and surprise Zach's family. And what a surprise it was :-) Only 2 people knew we were coming, and they kept it a secret until our arrival. Great fun. We ended up staying longer than we expected, because we were having far too much fun to leave. I don't think I fully appreciated the beauty of rolling corn and wheat fields until I moved to the city. I love the city, but there is something very refreshing about wide open spaces!

Our trip included a very special tour of the area where Zach's grandparents grew up and a stop at the graveyard where his 8th, 7th, and 6th generation grandfathers are buried. It was pretty cool for me to see the history in such a tangible form. We took a long bikeride one morning around the valleys and fields near his family's house. There was also lots of cookie baking and enjoying of homemade food.

The week ended back in PA with a somewhat scenic tour on the drive home (there was no map in the car, so we were going a little on faith of my recollections of roads, etc.). Thankfully, the nice weather made it an enjoyable detour.

We had the opportunity to drive to Lancaster with my Mom for some errands, and on the way, stopped at an Amish bakery for some fresh donuts. I remember a lot of trip as a kid when we stopped at "Sadie's," and you always hoped that the trip would coincide with one of their donut baking days. Thankfully, this was one such day, and I got to enjoy a piece of my childhood. Mmmmmm, so tasty. There is nothing quite like Pennsylvania Dutch cooking--especially when it comes to sweets.

My brother recently bought a fixer upper duplex that the family has been working on to finish. Zach and I worked together to get the vinyl floor put into the kitchen on one side while we were home. It was a new challenge--drawing out a pattern on large sheets of paper, cutting it out on the vinyl, and hoping desperately that it fit the right way. It did :-) I was happy... my knees--not so much. I've decided that flooring is not the career choice for me.

One thing we definitely enjoyed in OH and PA--the cheap, fresh farm produce. I love summer dinners made up of all vegetables preferably fresh from the garden or a local garden. Corn on the cob, red tomatoes, green beens.... So good!

We came back to the city on Sunday to get a few days of down time in before school starts next weekend for me. Zach's sister is going to be visiting later this week as well. We found two new "friends" today (albeit inanimate objects) that will generate a lot of fun for us! See pictures below :-)

Us in Downtown Wooster, enjoying some 'tation

The gravestone of Zach's 8th Generation Grandpa, Edward Martin. The stone says that he was the first Martin to move to Ohio and defended the Whites against the Indians.

View from the graveyard

Zach with his grandparents

The barn Zach built by himself when he was 15 from a pile of raw logs

Old railroad in Jim Thorpe, part of our scenic detour

Beautiful valley in Jim Thorpe

My parents' house--looks pretty idylic with those flowers!

Our new friends--you can't really see, but they're folding bikes, so they fold all the way down to a little larger than the size of the two wheels placed side by side.

We rode all the way up the west side of the island from downtown to home--this is the Hudson River, riding through the Hudson River Park.