Blog

We are Back

January 29th, 2024 by Kenneth Abrahams

It is true what they say about getting older, time moves so much more quickly. Was it almost a month ago that I was wishing people a Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas? Students have been returning to campuses since the first week of January and it feels like there was such a small break in between first and second semester. Years ago, I joked that we could close our offices from mid-December through the third week in January and nobody would notice. Back then, I was working in the office full time as opposed to my remote situation of today and the phones rarely rang. Often, we just took long lunches, played some cards after lunch, cleaned, and organized the office and our equipment while waiting for the clock to mercifully hit 5 PM (or close to it) so we could leave. Over time things have changed. This year as late as December 23rd people were emailing me about possible events. The week between Christmas and New Year’s, although technically our offices were closed, proved to be busy as well. Our first events in 2024 were the very first week of January, a far cry from the old days when we would start up again around Martin Luther King Day.

Despite the shortened amount of downtime, it is nice getting back to work. Honestly, when the students and staff are gone it is a bit too quiet for me. Yes, it gave me time to catch up on thank you notes, clean out a bunch of emails, while preparing for the beginning of 2024, but it felt odd. Call me crazy, but I like it when they return. Many come back with a renewed energy and are excited to be back on campus. Often, when I ask how break was, they say it was okay, but they are glad to be back. Trust me, I get it. As a student I loved getting back to campus and seeing all my friends. Yes, it was nice being home for break, but it was great being back on campus.

Our second semester programs started off that very first week in January. For our crew it was a pretty short layoff and by week 2 we were heading out the door on our first tours. Despite some weather issues we hit Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, and Nebraska (more on that in a future blog). Yes, driving through snow squalls and over black ice is never fun but, we made it with a few dings, bumps, and scratches. People seemed appreciative of the fact that whether it was local or more than a few states away, we braved Mother Nature and made their events happen. Perhaps it was that they were just happy to see friends or that it is the beginning of a new semester people seemed to be in very good moods. Truthfully, that makes our jobs much easier and a whole lot more fun.

Now the semester is really rolling, and my inbox is filling up with requests for events right around the corner as well as next Fall. After a few quiet weeks my phone is ringing again and I am back in the thick of it, helping students and staff plan events. This is the thing that I miss the most over break. Believe it or not, I enjoy a good challenge being thrown my way. It is always fun, at least for me, helping people take an idea and bring it to fruition. Despite some recent COVID outbreaks around the country, it is nice to see a continuation back to what things were like before the pandemic landed on our shores. It is hard to believe that was almost 4 years ago. Yes, it is nice to be back, and we are wishing all of you a wonderful 2024.

About the Author

Ken Abrahams is the CBO – Chief Blog Officer for FUN Enterprises. His writings are meant to entertain and at times make you think. They are also a great way for people to learn about the company and who we are as people.

To find out more about the company go to our website www.funent.com you can also go to this link to sign up for our newsletter which comes out about 6 times a year    https://funent.com/subscribe-to-the-funny-pages/.  Our newsletter will tell you more about the company and the products and services we offer as well as some games, things to do, and the occasional cooking tip.