CP Abroad With Joshua Cook

Joshua Cook, Digital and Social Media Manager

Shipping Up To Boston?

Since joining Connelly Partners 18 months ago, I have been inundated with tales of Boston and the CP Abroad Programme. From Italian restaurants in the North End to sunsets on the apartment roof terrace, if someone in the company has had the opportunity to visit Boston, you won’t need to ask twice before they tell you all about it as you settle down for lunch. This ensures that you spend the rest of your day quietly dreaming of jetting off yourself at some point and experiencing all that the programme has to offer. 

I’d never been to America, I’ve hardly left Europe, in all honesty. So, a month spent alone on the opposite side of the Atlantic, engulfed in a culture that is so different to the one I know and have spent my life a part of, was daunting to say the least. I was anxious, nervous and a host of different emotions all rolled into one as my departure date drew ever closer. But, ultimately, I was ready to grab the opportunity with both hands and make the most of it in as many ways possible. 

Highlights

Connelly Partners couldn’t be more helpful in ensuring that you feel comfortable in the weeks leading up to your trip. About a week before I set off, I was put into contact with my ‘Buddy’ who had also spent quite a bit of time in the Dublin office. I was assured (or warned?) he would be a perfect match for myself. He wasted no time and organised to meet up on my first full day in Boston, he introduced me to some of his friends, included me in a Whatsapp group and even brought me along to take part in a NFL Fantasy Draft. For a man who had never even seen an American Football match, it was quite the introduction. Nevertheless, I bluffed my way through and this set the tone for the month that was to come in the Land of the Free. 

I met up frequently with so many in the Boston office at various events, which ultimately culminated in the CP 25th Anniversary Party on my penultimate night. As a huge sports fan, highlights of my trip included Fenway Park to watch the Red Sox and eat hot dogs (I had two and could have done more), catching a Bruins game at the famous TD Garden and soaking up the atmosphere in the city’s bars as the Patriots kicked off their season. 

It wasn’t all sports though, as I spent a weekend in New York like the tourist I am. I wandered around for 3 days in awe at the city I feel so familiar with from popular culture, yet I couldn’t quite get my head around, as a man from a small East Lancashire town in North West England. It was vast, it is never ending, it was truly mesmerising. 

That being said, Boston was certainly more at my pace and I loved spending the evenings wandering around and taking in some of the famous monuments that surround the city centre. Oh, and don’t forget Modern Pastry Shop, truly the GOAT Bakery in Boston. But, please don’t tell Mike I said that. 

Defiantly Human

There are too many people to individually thank for the great time I had on my trip. The only thing I can say is that the people I spent my time with really couldn’t have treated me in a more welcoming way, and I thank Connelly Partners for the fantastic opportunity given to me. I now look forward to being that person waxing lyrical around the lunch table and encouraging others to get over to Boston as quickly as possible.