CP Abroad With Megan Dooge McConnell

Megan Dooge McConnell, Junior Account Manager

A Big Bag of Peanut Butter M&Ms 

The CP Dublin office is no stranger to having a cheerful American colleague temporarily joining our office on a monthly basis. Since I joined CP over a year and a half ago, it’s been a regular occurrence. We love the energy that our colleagues bring with them, and the kilo bag of Peanut Butter M&Ms that get plonked on the kitchen table helps too. Not only do we learn from them and connect over similarities and differences in AdLand, but it’s especially good when we say a common Irish phrase and watch as their face upturns in delight as they blurt out “what did you just say?!” I knew since joining CP and witnessing the program work on the Dublin side, that this was something I just HAD to apply for.

Wow, These People on My Screen Are Real?!

I had visited Boston once, straight out of college at 22, and had always wanted to return. The opportunity to bring my partner along, made it even better. We found being in a different country for longer than a standard holiday rejuvenates a person. Everything is new and exciting, which is exactly how I felt walking into the CP Boston office for the first time, greeted by faces I’d met in Dublin, faces I’d met only on calls, and new faces entirely. Having global colleagues was something I had always thought was a buzz phrase until I joined the CP Brand Team. Working from Dublin, we have had the opportunity to actually connect with the Boston team and sometimes work across campaigns together, so to meet them in person and join in on internal meetings, catch up on what campaigns they were working on was great. Although on different continents, we all have the same experiences day to day, the same stories from campaigns and the same passion across the board. It’s now very nice to know the face behind the Slack icon of an early 2000’s cult coming of age movie character.  

Cape Cod Is for Lovers, New York Is for Margaritas

Now, it’s not all office fun and games, there was some serious holidaying to be done also. I went to 2 (two!) Boston Red Sox games during my month (Go Sox!), watched the Celtic’s (from a bar) win the Championship (Go C’s!) and wandered around every inch of the city. To my delight, when I would mention to someone that we were spending the weekend on Cape Cod, they would immediately throw up their arm, as if they were flexing a bicep (💪) and point to it while saying “Where are you staying?” Recommendations from colleagues rolled in for “theeee best *insert food group here* in New York!” all of which we tried to accomplish in the space of 3 days and rolled back to Boston, with the NYC glow, buzzing from the energy the city leaves you with.  

‘Cause I’ve Got Friends in Warm Places

The CP Abroad program offered me the opportunity to not only connect with colleagues, but to reconnect with Irish friends who have left the green Isle for the sunnier pasture of Boston. Starting my work day at 7am, allowed me to work closer with my Irish team, and to spend late afternoons to evenings not only exploring the city and eating bowls of pasta the size of my head, but also spending time with childhood and college friends who have set up shop in Boston, and are living life to the fullest state-side. The month I spent in Boston was something I will always cherish. As the kids say – core memory unlocked!