Leaving on a jet plane...

Well today is the big day. It's 12:51am and I fly in less than 14 hours. I'm very excited about this new adventure. It's bringing back a lot of memories to be leaving for three months. There is excitement, happiness, and a lurking loneliness that happens when you say goodbye to friends. It rings home that you may not ever see someone again... even if you act as you will. I am not in the state to write too much more but I am going to post some pictures of friends and family to get this little sojourn started. Enjoy

Copenhagen, Denmark

I will begin to revamp and ready my blog for my next adventure in Copenhagen, Denmark during the summer of 2008. I am going to finish my Master's of Accountancy at the Copenhagen Business School from June 27-August8 2008. This will be my last flirt with being an international wanderer before I start in big four public accounting, but I hope it's not the last.

Look out for my thoughts on the process of applying, my journey to Denmark, the CBS, and whatever little adventures wait for me along the way.

Cheers, (Gotta learn to say that in Danish now!)

Finishing My First Semester of Graduate School

I am getting ready to complete my first semester of grad school. It's been tough only because the workload is greater and as always I am continuing to over-extend myself with work, assistantship, friends... However, I have done pretty well. The only class I really regret taking is a topics which is independent study. Although I have learned a great deal on my topic -Convergence of the FASB US GAAP and the IASB IFRS, I hate to write papers. There has been a lot of uncertainty which leads me to believe it's only purpose is to aid us in getting our 30 hours.

Tomorrow I finish up by taking my last exam. Then I am going to begin working to complete my CPA exams. I start in January and hope to be finished with all four sections by mid-May before I leave for France and my eventual study abroad in Copenhagen. I am very excited to be heading back to Europe. Although my preference is France I am going to remain open to a new adventure in Denmark.

Well, I still need to get up and study so I better retire for today. I really must begin writing more on this blog and documenting my life because I used to love that while I lived in France, oh.... France. La France me manque de plus en plus chaque jour. France est toujours prez de mon ceour.

Masters in Melbourne???

I am feeling rather lazy today so I have only done some Pilates at Maddy's apartment this morning, cooked a little lunch for the two of us, and now I am checking my e-mails at Melbourne Uni before have a drink with Jules and Anna tonight. I have been thinking an awful lot about the state of things in my academic life. In particular is my want to experience another study abroad. I am again looking at participating in a study abroad experience, this time at the University of Melbourne in Victoria Australia. It is only a beginning because it will be very difficult to do with a postgraduate program.

I am getting information on the program here in hopes that I may be able to take the required classes at my university and then take my electives "Down Under." It would be great to have more than a three week parcel of time to see my friends and I would also have another cultural experience in a very diverse, thriving city in the Asia-Pacific rim. Right now it is merely a feasibility study that I am undertaking, but it is nonetheless a future possibility.

I have been cooking lunch everyday for Maddy and myself in an attempt to save some cash. Actually, I have been cooking lunch and dinner. Monday we had tacos with Cass, Malvina, Jules, Maddy, and me. It was fortunate in a way that Claire, Rach, and Isa were unable to come out because I had 24 taco shells to go around and the girls and I polished off all but four of them! Good times are definitely being had and although it would seem that I don't know some of these people its not long before I feel comfortable as old friends in there company.

I feel a little awkward posting to my blog in the middle of a bustling library where many are waiting for access to a computer so I will have to make this entry brief so that real work can be done. It feels a little bit of foreshadowing as I sit in the library because there is a chance, albeit slim, that I could be one of those students very soon.

A "Lyons Roar" Down Under

OK, It's been a very long time since I have posted anything to my blog. I guess I just didn't think that my life was worth writing about while I was a senior at Uni, it didn't hurt that I was very busy as well with school and Beta Alpha Psi. However, now I have finished my stint as an intern with Deloitte & Touche, LLP in Audit and Enterprise Risk Services. In fact, I was made an offer on my last day at the firm to begin in the Fall of 2008. Currently, I am planning to mail the offer from here. Where is here you may ask -Melbourne, Australia. At the moment I am updating my blog from the Melbourne University Baillieu Library.

It's about 90 degrees outside, which is very warm considering that its autumn here. Although I hear that it's supposed to cool down tonight. Go figure, the day before we are to head to the beach for a big reunion.

It was great to give Maddy a huge hug at the airport where she picked my up. I am still feeling in a dream world from seeing everyone and meeting her family.

Yesterday, I met up with Anna to have a drink on the Yarra River before we headed to see Jules read some french love letters. Anna is working in marketing/sales for a radio station and is really looking great since she has been working out. Its kind of a motivator for me since I put on some weight since returning and getting caught up in class. More on that later since I am planning to make that my summer goal, 200 lbs, 230 by my 30th b-day in a few months.

Jules is working as an assistant to a French History professor and seems to like what she's doing. She has also been made an offer by Deloitte's Melbourne Tax Practice which I think is pretty cool since I am going to work for them as well.

Also, Isabelle met us for a hot minute after work and before we went to catch Jules. It was really weird since I haven't seen her since December of 2004 as she was a one semester kiddo. She is doing her articles with a law firm , very big and respected one, so she was dressed all professionally which is a far cry from the more free spirit that I remember.

It's very nice though because we all just get on like it was yesterday. There isn't a forcing of friendship. We had some drinks like it was just the other night we were in Lyon having a drink at Maddy's place. Although everyone has jobs here so we can't hang out all night. However, since noone will be working on Sunday morning I will not take no for an answer tomorrow night when people want to leave. I'll be cooking dinner so I will make it nice and heavy to keep everyone's tolerance high!!!

Well, that's a good start to my blog from Australia. One last note, I have been accepted to the UNCC Master's of Accountancy Program as of March 21, 2007. So, I will be headed back to school in the Fall of 2007 in Charlotte, unless I get a better offer somewhere else!

State of Mind

One of my favorite times of the year is upon me here in Charlotte, NC. It is the changing of the season. Soon, the leaves will begin to turn from the familiar green from spring and summer to a beautiful, vibrant portrait of oranges, reds, yellows whipping in the cool arctic breezes. Correspondingly, I am also experiencing a change this fall. I will finish my undergraduate degree in accounting with a minor in management information systems.

Honestly, I never thought this day would really come to me. I have been marginal at best throughout my previous tenure as a student both in high school and my first years in college. So, when I returned to school after several failed attempts in the fall of 2003, I was reluctant. That semester I was enrolled in College Algebra. I had begun this class a few times before and always withdrawn due to being poor in mathematics and getting behind. That semester seemed destined to the same fate. I made a 50/100 on my first exam. I bumped into the professor on the way to another class and informed her I would be dropping the class because I didn't want to get an F on my transcript. Ms. Funderburk, the professor, pleaded with me to wait until the next exam. One that was going to be after the deadline to withdraw from the course. She gave her word that if I came to her with problems and made a real effort to augment my grade, she would tell the Dean and have a withdrawal made for me. I agreed and began going by her office for extra instruction. The test came, I wrote the exam and left worried and anxious at the result, which thinking back, may have been the turning point in my academic life.

judgment, 98/100 points!

With newfound confidence I dove headfirst into all my classes with even more gusto. That semester I received a 3.4 out of 4 for my GPA. I know this isn't perfect, but knowing that I had never, ever in my academic life received marks this high I was ecstatic.

This exuberance followed into the next semester when I began classes. I had dreamed for years of living in France as a student abroad. A common day Erasmus from the US. All of you know that I lived this reality, none know how it almost never happened.

After completing the semester I had a 3.4. Although my cumulative GPA was a mere 1.6. This is because I had transferred to the University a few years earlier and stopped coming to class because I was working too much. At my previous institution the withdrawal was done automatically by the professor. However, UNCC had recently adopted a self-withdrawal policy and I did not know until the end of the semester, exam week, when my professors had already left. I tried to have a withdrawal but the Dean denied the request without the teachers signatures.

Because the exchange program required a minimum GPA of 2.5, I was in a predicament. How could I get my transcript expunged after more than 3 years had passed since the incident?

I entered Dr. Jack Hogue's office, Assistant to the Dean, with trepidation. I explained my situation from previous years and the consequences. Dr. Hogue, a prudent, forthright individual who had only moments before sent a student from the room mumbling explicatives under his breathe, granted my request. I was allowed to contact the professors from the previous years and ask them to review there attendance records to see if I had truly stopped coming to class prior to October 15, 1999 as I had said. His first criteria were that I receive all five professors signatures, but after I said that only two of the professors were still with the University he allowed a 3 out-of five.

I went to Google to find the professors current whereabouts. One was in Georgia at UGA, she had authored several detective books based on her background in forensic anthropology. What consequence would it be for her to take time to help little truant me? I sent her an e-mail requesting the needed information without response. Therefore I focused my efforts to the other teachers on campus.

The first professor was an Economics professor who I had spoken with four years earlier about the same matter. At the time, she did not agree with my position trying to get a late withdrawal regardless of the Dean's position. ( I tried the last day of exams in 1999 to get the same signatures, but gave up.) She told me to return the next day after she has spoken with the Dean, she never came to meet me. However, I explained my case to her, presented the facts fairly without any bias to our incident four years previous. She looked over her records and realized that I had indeed stopped coming to class shortly after beginning the semester.

She signed.

Next, I went to a history professor, who looked at her records quickly and without hazard signed the form accordingly.

Next, I tried to have a stubborn Algebra professor look into her records. I e-mailed her on several occasions but was ignored. I looked up her office hours for an unannounced visit to confront her. Just in case, I also sent another message to the professor in Georgia including my phone number in case she would like to speak with me.

I entered the corridor leading to the office of my Algebra professor from four years prior with resolve. In the balance, I knew, was my opportunity to live in France for a year. I knocked softly on the door and her gaze quickly found my eyes. She locked in asking "Yes?" in her slight Spanish accent. I inquired about her e-mails and she curtly stopped to say she had not looked. She looked back to her workpapers, but I was not to be so easily dismissed. I explained that I would be back everyday until she had time to at least look into her attendance books, neatly stacked on her bookcase.

She broke, her Latin culture most likely influencing her because I had been firm and threatened to interrupt her peaceful office hours for weeks to come. She asked me to reach the shelf for her and pull the fall 1999 booklet, saying that it must contain a side-note about my situation in order for her to sign. I found it, nearly trembling, and handed it to her. Thumbing the pages she found my name, in the margin was a note scribbled in pencil saying that I had never returned to class after the Fall Break.

She signed. I had three signatures.

As I left the office with a euphoric wave of emotion my phone rang. I answered the strange number to a familiar name. "Hello, this is Karen Ramey Burns could I speak with Sean please?" Still elated, I said hello and congratulations on the success of her new book. Having tried to track her down I learned she has become well-known as a mystery author using her forensic background and work the the FBI. If I am not mistaken, she is also a reason for the CSI series' success her in the US. She serves as an expert consultant. Back to the matter, she thanked me and said she had found my records and, to her bewilderment, had also penned that I stopped attending class early after the semester. She sent an e-mail to the Dean and wished me luck in France.

It must have worked because I was accepted to the program and 7 months later I met some of the most wonderful people, who I think of often, and look forward to seeing in April.

If you are still with me, reading, thanks for hearing my little sentimental story. It's an anecdote on how sometimes, with a little persistence, luck, and thoughtfulness of others, things happen.

Great things.

I am happy to be the President of Beta Alpha Psi at my university. I am proud to have been selected as a winter intern with Deloitte & Touche. I am ecstatic to think that I will see my friends in a few months. Although I am worried about the sordid affairs of the world, I am optimistic because I know that a few people can and will make a difference one person at a time.

I look forward to doing my part.

Getting Back on Track

Hello Everyone (Those that still drop by from time-to-time anyway.)

I am sitting in a little coffee shop down the road from my house. It's nice enough but I hate to tell Madz, Rach, and Claire that they do not serve any fair trade. It is amazing because this place is such a nice coffee shop, locally owned and everything. However, the guy who owns it is apparently a neo-conservative. So, I'll be headed to another coffee shop soon, there is one about the same distance away that serves all shade-tree, fair trade, organic coffee. Like anything else it is feast or famine I guess, one or the other.

"Back on Track"

Last semester I has an awful time. I did well in school, but not to my normal standards. In addition, I rarely had time to work out and I was smoking intermittently along the way. As a result I put on about ten pounds(5 kilos). This only added to the holiday weight that I had as well. So, I have decided that it is time to make some changes. I am going to lose all the weight that I have put off since coming home, plus another 20 pounds. My goal is to have a trim waist, six pack abs, and most importantly make my health a priority. So, I will be trying to incorporate some pilates and core strengthening exercises. This will help me with my hip issues, it doesn't really affect me but from time to time I am aware of the extra stress that is placed on my right hip.

I am going to make this very transparent and post my pictures along the way. I have a goal of about 2-2.5 pounds, or 1 kilo per week that I want to lose. This will put me on track to starting my last full semester of classes at well below my current weight and will throw all my classmates for quite a loop.

I am going to take some photos this weekend and post the results here for the world to see. I think that this will give me the incentive and motivation to "get back on track." The ultimate goal is to be in great shape when I get to Australia next summer. Internship or no internship, you better be ready!!!

Love to everyone, talk to you soon.

I think they call it burnout?

These last few weeks have been very draining. I have been through my father being in the hospital for more than a week for a 4-day maximum surgery. In addition I was initiated as the newest president of Beta Alpha Psi Accounting Fraternity, and I have been busy with classwork and exams. So, with all of this going on plus staying active at work and doing lots of meetings and seminars I am beginning to feel a burnout.

Luckily, I have a couple more weeks and then I will be given a break for about eleven days. I plan to relax, sleep in, and get my butt into the gym more often. I have put on some of the weight that I lost in France this year. I was in the gym for a while until my dad went into the hospital. I got so busy going to see him and with school that working out went down on the priority list.

For those of you interested, I am going to be participating in a few things this summer that I am really excited about. First, after meeting the Deloitte recruiters at our spring banquet I sent a letter to see about opportunities. I was asked to participate in the annual Deloitte National Leadership Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. This is a great chance to meet a lot of partners and senior managers along with 450-480 students from universities across the country. I am anxiously awaiting to participate and represent my university.

In addition, I am going to the Beta Alpha Psi Conference in Washington, D.C. This will be great to help me get ideas on things to do to make our organization superior chapter for the 11th time. I know that I am going to be busy, but it is a great opportunity for me and you never know where it may lead.

Until next time, Sean

Mr. President

This week I took a major step toward my future. I am going to be the next president of the Beta Alpha Psi Honorary Organization. It is for Financial Information professionals and students. I have been active with the organization since participating last semester as an associate pledge. As an associate pledge you get all of the benefits of being a member without having to meet the requirements of a pledge. As you may imagine I do not like to just sit at the wayside, so I was active from the start and attended 80% of the meetings and also volunteered about 8 hours to community service. This semester I was eligible to pledge and did so. I became more active and when the time came to elect new officers I decided that I wanted to become president.

In a few more weeks, this semester will come to a close and I will begin a one-year intership with General Electric. I should say that I still have to sit for an interview, but I feel very good about my chances. I will also be going to summer school to lower my burden next semester and give me the time to begin a systems minor or major to add to my skills. Then, I plan to do a summer internship with a "big four" accounting firm before entering the Master of Accounting program at UNCC, or at Melbourne Uni if an internship down under comes through. All in all, I am busy but I think that the best is definitely yet to come.

I miss Lyon, I miss my friends, I miss the feeling I had back in France. However, I know that it will come again and I try to think of this time as the time in between. I will be in Australia and France before you know it. I am actively moving in that direction and I am staying very open to new possibilities. I better run, the cafe that I am in is closing.

Stressed but loving it

This week could be the worst week of my collegiate career in terms of amount of work to do. It may very well be the deciding factor in my final grades as well. I have three exams, one of which is a two-day exam. Also, I have a three-page French paper due on Thursday before my two exams taking place that day. Then, I have an excel project and a memo due in one of the classes giving the exam. Very stressed, but I feel good about my capabilities to do very well.

In addition, I have decided to run for a position with my professional fraternity; Beta Alpha Psi. It is a very challenging position that has a lot of duties that I must perform. In spite of the work and obligations I think that it is going to be a great opportunity to use my leadership skills in advancing our chapter to new highs. I look forward to the challenge.

I am in the process of applying and interviewing for scholarships and I am hopeful that I will attain one in the public accounting field. In fact, after speaking with the faculty advisor for Beta Alpha Psi, I was told that my participation as president would assure me an internship and most likely several job offers. I knew that it would better my position but I had no clue how sought after the presidents are. One firm in particular has hired four out of the five former presidents, although it is not my first choice I find comfort in this fact.

I am very busy and I have no time for myself at the moment, but I am keeping up with the site so that I do not lose touch with everyone. I hope that everyone is well and I look forward to hearing from all of you soon.

Spring Break With No Break

I am currently on Spring Break this week. While most students are having fun in a warm, tropical location I am working, studying, and writing. I am very jealous of those having a great time but I had to stay behind and get ahead. The last round of exams was excruciating and I do not want that to happen again.

I received one of the worst marks ever in French and as a result I have reapplied myself and I think that it is paying off. Last week I was speaking online with my roommate's mother and she said without solicitation that my verbal French had improved a lot! I hope to be able to use it soon in France. I am trying to plan a trip in July to Lyon, Roanne, Italy, Spain, and of course Paris.

For my Lyonnaisers who still check in I am going to try and post more pictures soon of friends and what I am doing. I thought the other day about how I have not taken many photos since returning. I am not sure why, but there are plenty of times that I probably should have. So, I will be tweaking with my blog and posting more information.

I am going out next week with a woman that I met at the restaurant. She is cute, intelligent, and has two little boys. I am a little bit reluctant to go on a date but I think that I should at least see if something is there first, right? On ne sais jamais.

Well, I have a meeting with my professor tomorrow, the last day of my break... Crazy isn't it? So, I better go and proofread my documents and get into bed soon.

Lots of love, Jules and Maddy I am happy to know that the two of you are home safe.

It's been a long time.

I am sitting in the library and trying to decide if this is where I want to stay at the moment. You see, I have been in the library for the last two and a half weeks and I do not feel like being here at the moment. It is about 22 celsius, or 65 farenheit outside today and I want to enjoy it a little more. However, I got really behind a few weeks ago and I am trying to stay ahead of the curve. Not too sure what I am going to do but I think that it is not going to be done here.


I have rencontrer'd a few french students in the past few weeks. Including one named Vanessa who is from Lyon. Last night we spent about an hour discussing France, going to New York in a couple of months, and what it is like to be a student studying abroad. In all I found her company very nice and we are having a French Table tomorrow night. It's something that we did before I left for France where the American and French students get together and meet one another. You can speak in French, or English, and get to know everyone. Hopefully this will mean a good turn-out to the French Film Festival as well. There are currently about 4 of us that are going but I think that number could increase five-fold in the next few weeks.


The festival showcases French Films from multiple genres. There are cartoons, shorts, and full-length features that come from a variety of writers, directors, and producers. Often the directors, actors, and others will come to the festival and interact with the crowd. There is a question and answer session after each film and it very cool. Last time, we met up with a group of the visiting envoy and went dancing and drinking. The atmosphere is very open and it's a great experience. Last time I did not speak French so I look forward to this year's event.


Well, I better get back to my studies, or head to my car to go and get a bite to eat.


Il faut en profiter de les beau temps, n'est-ce pas?

No Internship, No Worries

It has been more than a long time since my last post. I would like to tell you all that I have not had the time to write anything. However it is more correct to say that I did not have anything great to share and I missed writing my blogs back in France... Yes I am still longing for Lyon and France. Every time I meet recruiters from accounting firms and businesses I am always the one asking if they are located in France, how long can I expect to be with the company before transferring to Paris or another location in France, etc.
My father is doing well and this week marks the half-way point in his chemo sessions. He is feeling great, he was given a new job last week that he is very excited to have received.
Mother is also feeling better after her accident in which she lost her car. She took my advice and got a Honda that would be more reliable and less expensive to fill up each time at the pump. It's an Element and I like it a lot. It is a burnt rust color and reminds me of my old truck.
I applied for an internship and I was in the process of getting things ready to go in that direction when everything went south. I am not sure why but I was informed by a package on Friday that I had a disqualifying factor. They did not state why only that I had been disqualified. It definitely took the wind from my sails and I was more than dissappointed. I have been working 2-3 nights a week expecting to have had this internship. So I let the resto know that I would like 4-5 shifts per week now. I will just have to make sure I get my studying done during the day. It may be for the best and perhaps I would have been too busy with the internship to concentrate enough on school. It's all good now, I should be able to make a small fortune waiting tables through the end of the year with all of the Christmas parties and such.
Not too sure when the next post will be, but maybe I can get the feeling back and let you know how things are going from time to time.