Friday, September 25, 2009

Bonding over food

Last night, my friend Caroline and I had five first-years over to my apartment for dinner. The dinner -- one in a series of NAWMBA potlucks -- was the perfect opportunity for us to get to know some of Darden's new ladies.
As is typical of most Angela/Caroline evenings, there was plenty of wine, food and chit-chat. Over plates of coconut shrimp, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and chocolate fondue (I mention the menu, because this was one of the VERY rare occasions when we cooked!), Caroline and I talked about a whole range of b-school related experiences -- from participating in class and taking finals, to dating and bar-hopping. And we listened as the first-years shared stories about their learning teams, their sections and their post-Darden ambitions.
Maybe two glasses of wine into the conversation, I realized how short a time it's actually been since we were in these girls' shoes. As they talked about their long hours and moments of self-doubt, I thought how odd it was that just a year ago it was me admitting to those same crises of confidence. Yet there I was last night, trying to lend support and encouragement.
What a difference a year makes.

1 comment:

Jackie said...

Great post. And sounds like you all had a great time at dinner. Nice!