A few small things I took from my international university trip in 2012

Okay, so full disclosure. I didn't actually "take" anything from any country, not without paying for it anyway. The trip (like many) did offer some opportunities to challenge my thinking and give me some reflection which has stuck with me to this day. Herein lies a bit of a personal experience tale, but rest assured I will attempt to bring it home with how I found this trip to enrich my professional life. More importantly, and if there was a central theme to this post it would be that I recommend that once anyone feels comfortable and has the means to do so, they should not hesitate to travel overseas to broaden your perspective, increase your life palate, which can only make you a more open-minded professional. [You can travel economically and still see so much] I never travelled until I was in my early 20s as my family never went anywhere beyond South Australia for holidays despite my parents being born and growing up in the UK.

In 2011 I enrolled into a Master of Business Administration at La Trobe University, in Bundoora, Melbourne. Originally, I had planned to apply somewhere closer to where I lived, however a senior colleague at the time had decided he wanted to do his MBA as well there, so we were going to do it together. I figured why not do my MBA with someone I work with? Surely, that'll make it more interesting to study with someone and less work!? Right?

Well, the week before the first subject started I was eagerly enquiring whether my senior colleague had finalised his enrollment papers only to find out he had pulled out of starting it. Great. Thus began 2+ years of travelling often after work in peak hour traffic from one of Melbourne, across the city, and to northern suburban campus to complete face to face night classes (6pm-9pm) sometimes multiple nights a week depending on how many subjects I was doing in a term. It started with "let's just see how I get through the first subject" to finally "this is the last one, you can do this!".

You are probably wondering what the heck has this got to do with an international trip... Excuse-moi Nigel, ou est le francais? Sorry, just some preliminary context. Here we go. In 2012 I attended a presentation for interested students to travel abroad for an international-related subject of the degree. International Marketing offered a trip in 2012 to Dijon in France, so the information session was to explain what was involved and the details of the trip. I've been a keen traveller since around 2001 when I got the travel bug (que sad panda face for 2020 and 2021 travel plans) and I've been to some awesome places getting off the beaten track in China, India, Thailand, and other parts of Asia and Europe for the most part.

[Side note: I loved the International Marketing trip to Dijon so much, I ended up being asked to present my experiences to a 2013 cohort of MBA students intending to go to Mexico City for International Business only to enjoy hearing about THAT trip so much that I enrolled in International Business and went to Mexico! That's another story though...]

So, despite the fact that I was probably the most "mature" (in age anyway) student attending this information session, I left super keen and decided to sign up! In the weeks leading up to the trip, we did a lot of preliminary work on a 10,000 word paper draft in a group of 15+ students who eventually signed up for International Marketing The experience of writing a paper was grueling and interesting (most folks in the course did their paper on luxury goods supply chain and marketing initiatives, I stood alone doing my paper on the impacts of collaboration of sales, marketing and technical folk in technology-based companies) - however finally the day came! We were off to Dijon, France!

Of course, that's an awful amount of luggage for 1 person. So let us just say that when I informed my better half that I had planned to travel to France and consume all my available annual leave from work, I can assure you she said she was coming before I even asked if she wanted to.

We arrived in Paris and stayed there for a few days, before making the trip by train to Dijon where we would attend 3-hour lectures by knowledgeable french professors. We decided against the university recommended dormitory-style accommodation in favour of a small house a few hundred metres from the main Dijon areas which was beautiful and quaint. Strolling around Dijon by foot was a great way to explore, but of course my memories of sitting in that house eating some local produce and drinking some wine from the region... c'etait delicieux!

At night time it was at different times and days, busy or quiet, allowing for different experiences of the senses, a snippet of what life would be like here on a day to day basis. The select bars were lively and it was definately a lot of fun. Some of the La Trobe University students who went on this trip were from China, and as a group we had some really nice experiences at restaurants, bars and wineries. A side trip to Switzerland to travel from Zurich to Lausanne (inclusive of a trip to Chateau De Chillon). Memories of experiences with folks who I still keep in touch with, although not as often as I might like.

So, what did I learn from that trip, that I've absorbed into my work style?

1. Try and be open-minded as often as you can. A very young student by the name of Nick, was one of best company of the Dijon experience. Had I been ageist, I would never have gotten to hear his stories and perspectives. Don't be afraid to make new friends, put aside any judgements in favour of tolerating and embracing differences. When you're on a trip, these open-minded experiences give colour to your experience and unlock events or stories you might not otherwise get to see. Being open-minded at work, means not being afraid to get to know people who are very different to you.
2. Don't be afraid to get off the beaten-track. The thing with travel is... if you just want a resort experience, you can get the resort experience pretty much anywhere. Seen one glamourous infinity pool, you've seen them all. A number of the MBA students went enmasse to Milan to further their luxury goods experiences (one of the funniest experiences was having some students arguing about who was going to pay for a speeding fine of 150 euros, yet most of them bought bags that were more expensive than my entire trip cost). My partner and I went to Switzerland and took a train across the country, stopping along the way and getting off the tourist trail and walking around to experience what life was like there. At work, we often surround ourselves with echo-chambers and agreeable folks, while this is great for ego-stroking, it doesn't enrich our lives or challenge us to think differently or better. Get off the beaten-track by being willing to hear different points of view.
3. To follow is to lead, to lead is to follow. When the international university trip was being put together, there was an opportunity to be the "team leader" but I could see that someone else wanted it pretty badly. As a practising manager, it would have been easy for me to assume the role and I know I would have enjoyed it, but someone was going to benefit from the experience better. Along the way, she made mistakes (including getting too drunk one night and passing out in the street - don't worry another story) - but I tried my best to just be there and offer words of encouragement. Sometimes being a good follower, a good wingperson, is just as effective as worrying about who's in the pilot seat. At work - and especially for budding leaders - it's easy to want to assume control, but leadership isn't always about being the top dog. My experience in Dijon supporting another person grow their leadership skills only further reinforced to me that sometimes you can lead just as well when you are a follower. At times, and since then, I've forgotten this lesson so it's just as much as reminder for myself than anyone!

If you ever get the opportunity to travel, and especially if you haven't, I encourage you to explore the idea. There are loads of tours in groups that are grass-root enough and take you to places that go beyond the hotel and Main St. experience. And in case you're still not convinced, maybe watch Emily in Paris on Netflix for some inspiration. (It's easy watching, but it's a comedy drama about someone getting out of their comfort zone - not for everyone I'm sure but I found it interesting).

Merci beaucoup for reading, and have a great week ahead! Your prize for reading this far is a bottle of french wine, you just need to click and collect from Dijon....it's there waiting for you. Maybe...?

[Spoiler alert, this bottle has probably been drunk by now. Sorry.]

#france #learning #reflection