Sara's Blog

This week we’re in Swindon, England—about an hour outside London. Why Swindon? Intel has an office here, where Keith can work while we’re waiting for the Dutch residency papers to come through. They’ve even given me a temporary cube at the office so I can work. It’s a whole new world! It’s a massive building of cubicles and thousands of people...very different from HOTP, with its plants and cozy atmosphere and 50 people. Here, everyone is required to pass security to get in and we all have to wear badges. (Here I am wearing my official badge!) And since I’m not an employee, I have to be escorted by Keith at all times. I’ve gotten lost twice on my way to the ladies’ and was actually captured and put in the lobby as I wasn’t accompanied by my escort. (Keith had to come fetch me!) One cool thing about it is the diversity. There are employees here from all over the world: India, Holland, Germany, China, Ireland and even a few other Yanks. It’s very quiet (another complete opposite from the “Hey, what do you think of this?” at HOTP) but the conversation you do hear is in a dozen different languages. And it’s great being able to go to lunch with Keith and see what he does at work all day (mostly finance meetings, it turns out).

Tuesday I took the train into London to see my friend Dawn, who hosts “Paper Crafting with Dawn Bibby” on QVC London. It was so great to see her! We talked about upcoming kits and the QVC Customer Appreciation Day in London in July, which she hosts and where I’ll be teaching classes and doing make and takes. I’ve done it for the past two years and we always have a great time. Then we went out to dinner with her husband JJ…a fun little French restaurant with the most divine chocolate-y dessert! And if schedules work out, I’ll also be teaching at her yearly event in Portugal this November.

First things first, though! I’ve got Skype video conferencing meetings today with Paulette and Elizabeth, who handles our Personal Shopper kits, then we’ve got to figure out our flight to Amsterdam this weekend. Whew, no wonder I’m tired…time for another pot of tea, I think!