Thinking about all the new beginnings, all the first days of my life I was walking towards ColoredCow. Anxious and nervous, imagining all the things I can mess up in. Wishing that somehow it all goes normal and I don’t end up making a fool of myself. Isn’t that what we all think when we venture into some new territories? The fear of unknown! What will the place be like? How friendly are the people going to be there? Whether I’ll know my stuff? Or will I end up being the odd one out? And on and on the mental chaos goes. With all these circular thoughts I made my way to ColoredCow.

I walk in, open the main door and see a bicycle inside the building. In the sitting area! And I quickly make a mental note that I need to know this story. I have other things to ask too, like why the name ColoredCow but my mental pondering is thankfully paused within a couple of minutes and I get to meet the founder of ColoredCow.

When I think of it now, I guess he then and there did set the first impression for the company. I guess maybe all the founders are like that or maybe they are not. Can’t say have not met many! But maybe all those who struggle and build something of their own have those simple qualities in them, the ones that gave them strength to embark a journey no one believed in and the ones that will take them far ahead. Another thing that paved my faith in the organization was the way I was introduced to everyone. I really believe these small things make a lot of difference. If you are considered equal and part of something you always feel welcomed and that gives you the ability to be ‘You’.

So I am there and it has just been an hour and I have met everyone, spoken to them, shared a smile and I already say ‘We’ and not ColoredCow. Okay! That is something. ColoredCow is not my first organization and hence it is not an emotional senseless association with the concept of finally working and that did make me pause and think. What is special about ColoredCow that I already feel a part? May be it is too soon to answer.

My first assignment for the day was to write my job description! Can you believe that! From all those endless interviews, the organizational experiences and the common folklore I never expected this. Like aren’t we always told what to do. Isn’t there always a syllabus, a guideline, a set of well defined rules that tell you what you can and what you think you can but nobody really cares about it. So yeah, they got my undivided attention there! After I am done with this heavy task I am asked to sit down and read. And I am like can it get any better?

It’s 2:30 p.m. and all the rat colonies inside my stomach decide to have a march; in all the first day business I completely forgot to bring lunch. In between the thoughts of all the food that exists on this planet and the re-occurring confession of how stupid I am; I hear a gong. Yes! A gong! First, I think it is my senseless imagination of a Chinese temple in between all the Chinese food I am imagining and then I am called for lunch. So apparently to my relief ColoredCow have a beautiful tradition of having home cooked lunch together. On the house!

After the cheerful lunch banter, talking to everyone, reading some more while sitting on the recliner and being myself. I realized it was the end of the day. And like the teary eyed 3 year old me who wanted to study more on her first day of school, I yearned for more.