Back to Chocolate World!

Last Thursday I visited Chocolate World and Amish Country with some of my Israeli classmates. After a series of unexpected adventures including a flat tire in the middle of Amish fields, we finally made it to our buggy ride destination :) We had to skip lunch at an Amish restaurant and a visit to an authentic Amish house and farm, and instead hunt for an Enterprise location in the middle of nowhere! Around 3:30pm we arrived at Hershey, and Jared took us on a trolley tour of the city, as well as on the famous Chocolate World ride! We spent the afternoon with Hershey's Young Professionals Group and had dinner at my favorite place in Harrisburg: Cafe Fresco! Exquisite fusion cuisine!

New York, New York....

Last Thursday, Jared came from Harrisburg to see my final tango performance at the Annenberg Center in Philadelphia. After hours at the popular Wharton pub, the student audience went crazy - people were so loud, that we could barely hear the music on the stage. Quite an experience! I am just so thankful that the choreography came together - just a few days before, it had looked so uncoordinated!

Jared spent Friday working on his paper and I went to school for Final Friday activities. Yes, we are days away from graduating! It was great catching up with my cohortmates again and seeing Jennie's newborn - one of the few Wharton babies!

The following day we drove to New York for an amazing evening of fine Italian dining, a comedy show, Korean Karaoke (which Jared surprised me with :)), and yes, Charles' Lauder wedding! We stayed at the Sofitel hotel and all I know is that once I graduate and I save some money, I will buy a bed as amazingly comfortable as that was! :)

The end of an amazing journey

I feel that for the past year, I have not stopped. Since my trip to Israel last May, my life has taken quite a turn! First, I finished my internship at Hershey's, working on two iconic brands, the York Peppermint Pattie and the Whatchamacallit candy bar. In addition, I helped launch a new product called Thingamajig which I hope everyone will try! :) My time at Hershey's was definitely a journey of learning: from dissecting enormous databases in every way possible, to working with design agencies on packaging graphics, to presenting to the VP of Chocolate for North America. Not only did I learn a lot, but also met my amazing boyfriend Jared! :) All in all, my summer was incredible - of course! my internship came with unexpected perks :) During those months, Jared and I took a few exciting trips. One of them was to Dallas, visiting my beloved friend Tiffany who was excited to have entered the last trimester of her pregnancy. We also spent time with some of my old friends and of course, with my sister and her husband, who barely allowed us to do anything but spend time with them :) :) In Dallas, Jared was for the first time introduced to the state of Texas, and his experience driving through cowboy lands was quite memorable :) We also made time for my very favorite Pete's Dueling Piano Bar and a comedy show, where we had an absolute blast! I also introduced Jared to Persian cuisine, which he is now addicted to :) Later on in the summer we visited his older brother Jamie in DC and took a trip to New York, where we spent a few days at the US Open. Tennis is Jared's passion, and I had always dreamt of attending the prestigious championship! That weekend also marked the end of my internship and soon after, I returned to Dallas. I don't recall all of the details of the past few months, but I know I have enjoyed every single moment! :) From spending Thanksgiving and Christmas with Jared's family and our fabulous Mexican friends, to taking various other domestic trips together, to flying to Brazil with a group of Lauder friends, to taking the most interesting classes and being able to work on my travel concept, it has been an incredible ride! I am now two weeks away from graduating and closing yet another chapter in my life, and I look forward to the world of opportunities that will open after that! I am happier than ever in my life, and more excited about the future! Before rejoining the workforce full time, I will enjoy one more vacation with Jared, to Spain, Romania and Turkey. Can't wait to show him the places where I grew up! Lots of love, everyone!

Ralu's Amazing Trip to Israel!

Ralu Goes to Chocolate World! :)

So darlings, allow me to put all rumors to rest :) It is true: as of June 16th, I will be working at Hershey's in their marketing / brand management division! I am thrilled! After having interned at Disney in 2000, I never thought I would end up living in a fairytale city again, but here I am, headed to Chocolate World! I hope God gives me the strength to resist the temptation of indulging myself in sinful amounts of rich, dark chocolate! hahaha I am reminded by what Oscar Wilde used to say: "I can resist everything but temptation" :) That will soon be me! Hugs to everyone!

United Arab Emirates

I spent Spring Break in Abu Dhabi, with my parents who flew from Romania to be with me. I am amazed by the ability of a country to transform itself from a desert into a thriving economy in such a short amount of time! And even so, I find myself enjoying everything that connects with the past more than the overwhelmingly high skyscrapers and luxurious malls. So, what I loved most were the new mosque in Abu Dhabi, which is built of white marble. in traditional Islamic style, my desert safari, and my camel ride. I appreciate, though, the country's effort to blend modernity and tradition, and to accept people's different preferences. I saw women covered completely in black (including their eyes), buying the most expensive and colorful silks. I saw young women expressing their beauty through wearing designer glasses and long, black abbayas decorated with beads and precious stones. It is definitely a fascinating world, in constant motion, and there is a lot to learn from their success.

Small Group Dynamics

Today was the second day of our small group dynamics workshop. Although we have a facilitator, she makes comments rarely, and even those times, everything she says is cryptic. The 12 members of our group met yesterday for the first time, and we have had absolutely no context or suggestion for possible discussion topics. We are in an unstructured environment, which is unfamiliar for all of us. It has been fascinating to witness how we go through the same stages of group formation as described in our texts, despite our desire to do so! After spending 8 hours yesterday trying to figure out what we were supposed to discuss, today it was interesting to talk about why we all returned to spend yet another day doing the same. Was it because of the group? The fact that we did not want to let the others down? The authority of our facilitator who barely utters a few words? We are all extremely busy, and could be working on homework or other things, rather than be there, however not even one of us missed today's session! Frustration was definitely present in the group. I have discovered that I fall into my natural state every time I enter a new group: I don't speak much and instead I observe the members of the group. I wonder why I have this need to first feel the group, and then interact, while others are comfortable speaking from the very start. Today I learned something new though: that many of those who contribute often actually feel a sense of insecurity, which I found astonishing. I am sensing different emotions in the group: some are frustrated, some are angry but still choose to stay, some are anxious, some try different strategies to create conflict and more excitement, and some are calm and patient. This entire experiment has been extremely interesting. We are becoming increasingly introspective, and I look forward to tomorrow's discussions. All my love!