Pre-Boarding

I'll start this out with the typical caution: I've never blogged before. I'm not sure how to write this, or who I should be writing it for. This could become a hit sensation in which case I need to polish my every thought and word so as to come across as Rushdie-esque. Or pretend to not care about the style and go for the Salinger feel.
But most likely this blog will fall into a forgotten corner of the internet, gather a little bit of dust, and be read by you, me, and that's about it. I like the idea of that. This will be our little quiet time where I can tell you a story as it unfolds, and if I ever get lonely on the other side of the world, I can find solace in the fact that somewhere, you're reading my words, and they're not being completely lost in the vast cosmos.
For that, I thank you reader. You're bringing me home as I take you away.

Ahem.

My name is Michael Black, and I'm moving to India. The shortcut through the long story is that after four years at Cornell, I landed a job with a company called Mahindra, doing consultant work in a variety of sectors. I studied Natural Resources, and minored in International Trade and Development. My intention was to find a job where I could better the lives of people, as well as the context they live in. Ideally, I would have taken over the World Bank right after college, but some economists doubt my skill. A tractor company who I recognized thanks to my Grandad came to campus to recruit, and I attended the info-session, which you can take a look at here. I was convinced after the presentation that with this position, I could be a part of real change, real help to Indians and people around the world, and help improve the human condition.
They decided to take a gamble with me, and I couldn't be more excited and ready to get to work.

Right now, it's July 23rd, but that'll change to the 24th in an hour. I leave on the 25th. It's storming outside my window, and the crickets and cicadas are still at it. There's a lot going through my head right now, and a lot of quotes to apply. I'm nervous, excited, anxious, scared, sad, happy, and already homesick. I'm going to miss the U.S., and especially Arkansas. I know already I'm going to miss the simplicity and quietness of it all. But. This is the time, as everyone says, to do this kind of thing. It is true that I enjoy pushing myself beyond my comfort level, because that's the only way to learn. In first grade math, we all had moments where 7+8 gave us fits of frustration. Or maybe 7*8. We had the feeling of despair when we just didn't know the answer, and we had to think, even think creatively to determine the answer. Well, I know 7+10 is 17, and because 8 is two less than ten, then the answer must be 15. Or maybe: 7+7 is 14, and 7+8 is just one more, so it's 15. Or maybe we used our fingers. In any case, we solved the riddle by pushing ourselves over the edge of comfort. Can I live in a foreign land? Can I thrive there? Can I work and work well in that environment? What am I capable of in my job, and how can I rise? How fast can I go? All these can be answered only by taking the plunge.

So, like Pippin and Gandalf, I await the coming destiny marching across Pelanor. This passing thunderstorm, this night with its infinite singularity of sights, smells, and sounds, is the deep breath before that plunge.

At the risk of sounding too nerdy, I'm going to throw a Matrix reference on top of LOTR:
We're in this together, reader. You have to stick with me in this two year trial, and visit this page every so often to check my pulse. If you've made it this far in the blog, there is surely some curiosity in you. I now offer you the red pill and the blue pill. Take the blue pill, and you won't have to read anything else nor follow my stories and thoughts. Take the red pill, and we'll both see how deep this rabbit hole goes.

Actually, never-mind. Take the red pill.

Red Pill takers click here