The month of June was very eventful and exciting! The first week, we had our planning meeting and it was great to see the team come together and enjoy the 2 days in-person. The second week, we had an internal conference with all of the Communications Managers across Microsoft. This was fun because I finally got to put faces to the names and aliases who I knew via Microsoft Teams, and meet people all around the world.

And then I (finally???) caught COVID-19 🦠

It all started with a sore throat on a Thursday, which I thought was from eating too much “yeet hay” foods. Here’s an article that explains the concept of “yeet hay” in case you’re curious. I tested myself but came out negative… I guess it was too soon.

Then the sore throat gradually got worse (though the Ricola cough drops did help). By Sunday, I had a headache, stuffy nose, and cough. When I tested myself this time around, I was positive 😥

Fortunately, the work week ahead wasn’t too busy and I had ample time to rest and recover in between meetings and deliverables. My boyfriend (who already caught COVID earlier this year) also did a great job taking care of me, from cooking to cleaning up, so I am very grateful for him!

Overall, the COVID-19 experience sucked but I felt like I’ve had worse flus in the past. I was also tripled vaxxed, so that probably helped reduce the severity of the symptoms.

Post COVID-19 Craziness 🧳

My first time in New York City 🗽

Before I knew it, I was off to the Big Apple for the International Association of Business Communications (IABC) World Conference 2022! I was excited for my first external business/work conference because it was a chance to meet people outside of Microsoft and break outside of my typical tech bubble.

Our conference was in the New York Marriot Marquis hotel, which was right in the middle of Times Square. Ah yes, I experienced the full on shock and disgust of pee and garbage in the streets 😬

I also reunited with my brother who I hadn’t seen since he left to study in Singapore back in December 2021. It was so nice to see him again after so long and catch up on everything while we explored a new city together. The food was delicious, and I fell in love with Los Tacos 🌮 and ate that 3 times!!!

During the conference, I met many experienced professionals and became inspired in the many sessions that I attended. In my free time, My brother and I met up with our friends or family and checked out some major landmarks. Overall, it was an awesome experience⁠—especially because most of it was covered by my professional development budget (thank you Microsoft and my manager for approving it) 🥰

Hi, I’m Karen and my blog is all about sharing life and career learnings to help others! Check out Resume Rescue, subscribe to my monthly newsletter, and follow my LinkedIn page for hiring posts shared directly from recruiters and hiring managers. More resources: Career Walking Decks and Paying Off Student Loans.