“After so many months of visiting the guitar store in Union Square, I finally bought one; I’ve been playing for years, but gave it up for a while, and it’s great to be playing again”. – Alfie
Trainees, sequestered inside during those first, winter months of Covid, got creative in their efforts to stay busy and sane outside of working hours. One trainee learned to play the ukulele. Another took up embroidery. And one is now a TikTok superstar (or, an aspiring superstar, at least)!
There were, of course, common themes: Most trainees spent time cooking and baking, trying out new recipes with their roommates. One trainee experimented with Spanish cooking. Almost everyone got busy working on their fitness, finding new and creative ways to get or stay fit without access to a gym.
Since most trainees live in Brooklyn, many hours were spent walking or running along the East River, to avoid cabin fever and get that much needed fresh air. And, the ubiquitous Netflix; many hours were spent in front of screens – by all.
I've been bike riding and realised it's much more pleasant to get around by bicycle, and getting across the bridge to Manhattan this way, instead of taking the subway. And, as things started to open up, the parks were a real saving grace. Some GMEs got together and went to a socially distanced comedy show in Central Park, which was a nice experience. – Betty
Making the decision to relocate from New York during Covid
As most people are well aware, New York City was initially the hardest hit locale in the US – and it’s still recovering. So, when work went fully remote, and it became clear that it would stay that way for the foreseeable future, a few GMEs decided to relocate; primarily to places with year-round warm weather, unsurprisingly! One trainee headed to LA, where she presently has friends living, to finish out her traineeship. Similarly, another trainee headed off to Orlando; after spending a summer working at Disney, he was craving his friends there and the warm weather. A couple of trainees headed to Barbados, taking advantage of that inland’s invite to remote workers. And one GME headed to Chicago, where his sister is presently living.
I always wanted work in different places; the first place I visited was Chicago, and, since my sister is here, when my lease was up and I knew we weren’t going back to the office, I decided to relocate there for the end of my GME program. – Nitish
New York City has always been the bread and butter of Global Marketing Exchange – and we don’t see that changing. But, because of the work/life changes brought on by Covid, there will likely be opportunities to work and live in different locales in the future, offering a more well-rounded experience. And, wherever GMEs are located, we’ll always make sure that current trainees stay in touch with one another, share resources, and as with most previous GMEs, many will most likely become fast friends.
Thoughts on future location flexibility
All GME trainees past and present have expressed their love for NYC, but the opportunity to spend some time living and working from another locale during a tough time for the Big Apple has been a Covid silver lining for a few. And, since the world of work has (likely) permanently changed, future trainees will probably have greater flexibility in where they live and work. Most would encourage these new trainees to spend time in New York – the experience of living and working in the Big Apple is invaluable – but also to check out other parts of America.
If I had it to do over, I would likely split my time. GME offers a unique opportunity and being able to live and work in New York is amazing but having the option to see different parts of the US would offer a completely different experience and provide you with the opportunity to see many different parts of the country. — Anna
