Greetings from CEOLand!

OK, I did my homework. I read the guidebooks and even the online reviews written by travelers in CEOLand, but no matter how you prepare, you really don't know what it's like until you get there. It's funny. I had been thinking about this trip for so long, I half expected some kind of parade when I got here, with everyone showing up to say, "Congratulations, Jamie! Welcome to CEOLand!" But that's not how it works. You just show up. As big a shift as it is for me, it's not much more than a blip on the radar screen of the locals. I now have a much better sense of the phrase "hit the ground running."

There's nothing like going into a foreign land to help you understand the power of stereotype. The locals in Membertown instantly gave me the title of "foreigner" (and all the behavioral expectations that go with that title). While I am certainly different, I am also part of their community now, and just because I am different from them, that doesn't mean they really know who I am or what I bring with me. At several meetings they did not expect me to speak up (but I did). I was specifically invited here to change the way they do things, but some of the committees don't seem to be aware of that! It has been important for me to gently push back against some expectations and be more vocal about asserting my own needs, approaches, and expectations. I sense it's not the cultural norm to tackle these things directly, but I find it so much more productive in the long term when you do.

This place is nothing if not entertaining! I'm definitely on my toes.
Jamie