Our guest blogger for this piece is Lorena Diaz. A new Corporate Management Trainee, she shares her experience of moving to paradise. Enjoy!
This past week each time I walk through the hallways of Grand Hyatt Kaua’i I am greeted with “Aloha, how are you today?” and “Mahalo, enjoy your stay.” Can you say surreal? Well, these past several days have been one of the most surreal experiences of my life. Just last Sunday, I survived a 20 hour plane ride from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Kaua’i, Hawaii to begin my Spa Corporate Management Trainee program at the amazing Grand Hyatt Kaua’i property. Yes, that was not a typo; it was a 20 hour journey that allowed me to reflect on this new chapter in my life and career.
To some people that I know this move is out of the ordinary. The people I love and am closest to questioned me why I would leave my family, friends, and overall comfort of home to move to an island with only 62,000 people, and where I knew no one. I always answered their question with another question, “Why not?”
Seriously, why wouldn’t a college senior jump into an experience where she or he can develop and grow with a company that has been recognized for being one of the best workplaces in the world while enjoying all the benefits of living on an island? Exactly, I didn’t think twice about taking that leap.
However, this has been one of the biggest leaps I have taken so far. You see, while in college I lived at home and commuted to campus every day, so I never had to rent or seek an apartment or even live away from my family for more than 5 months. Also, the furthest I been West was to Peru, and that was 4 years ago, so I had no idea what to expect. Nevertheless, I did not allow my inexperience to provoke fear. This is where Thomas Gray’s famous line comes to play, “Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.”
Not knowing is better than knowing and worrying. I made it a priority to not ‘freak out” when I did not have the answers to all my questions, and enjoy the time I had at home. I found that the less I worried and thought about how things could go wrong, the more things fell into place. I was lucky to find an apartment during the first week on the island, and I have been learning more and more about the Hawaiian culture through my trips to town with my coworkers. I learned that patience, optimism, and sometimes going into a situation not knowing anything can be as beneficial as knowing it all.
Congrats on the Movie to Hawaii… I am on Hotel #2 after graduating and each time have moved to a place where I knew not a single person, including leaving New Jersey to go to College in San Diego. It is the best experience you will ever encounter, it is amazing how our Hyatt Family just takes you in.
Good Luck!
Wow, what a dream come true. I am glad you took such a leap into possiblity. Some ppl are too afraid off what might become of the future, you took a chance and now look at where you are. An inspiration to college students and I am sure your family and friends support you every step of the way. Good luck!!!