Key West - team building

I couldn’t believe it, but the company I work for took us to the USA for a team-building meeting. After nearly 11 years of working in the public sector, this change felt incredible. There’s no point in comparing the Hungarian public sector to the American private sector; it’s a completely different world, and now I feel like I’m in the right place.

So, last year I changed jobs and started working as a software tester for a US-based company. The development team is in Hungary. In the world of the internet, distance is not an issue. Last year, the boss decided he finally wanted to meet the development team in person. I missed out on that fun, but this year they took me along. The airport transfer picked us up at dawn. I had never flown before and was a bit apprehensive, but I really enjoyed the takeoff part. However, I quickly got bored, especially since the trip started with the longest leg, all the way to Philadelphia. We then headed to Miami with a significant delay due to a technical issue, almost missing the last plane, but a bit of running solved the problem. Valentin was picked up first by the transfer, making his journey over 25 hours. Since it was cold in Pécs when we left, everyone wore long pants and sweaters. As soon as we landed and stepped off the plane in Key West, we were hit by the hot, humid air. We took a taxi to the accommodation, where the boss, Julie, and Jordan were waiting for us. Attila and Dávid had a meal with them, but I chose to lie down because I couldn’t sleep on the plane. On the first morning, we looked around the accommodation, which was at The Marker Waterfront Resort.

Due to the long journey, it was organized so that we would arrive before the American colleagues, giving us time to rest and still be able to go dolphin watching and snorkeling around the coral reefs in the morning.

Since the dolphins were not trained, we could see them in their natural habitat. Some were so friendly that they swam just a few centimeters from the boat. After this, we sailed a bit further to see the coral reefs. Snorkeling was unusual and a bit challenging, but the view and the experience made up for it. After the program ended, we returned to shore.

In the meantime, the others arrived one by one. The evening was a relaxed affair with drinks and conversations. We brought some Unicum and a bit of homemade pálinka, the latter of which did not receive unanimous approval—our colleagues’ expressions said it all. Someone even described it as “jet fuel.” Nonetheless, it was all consumed, if I remember correctly.

The work part began the next morning. We sat down in a room for a constructive discussion about the company, our tasks, improving efficiency, and sharing ideas.

For lunch, we went to a nearby restaurant. Driven by curiosity, I took a quick walk around the area while waiting for the food. The vegetation and the buildings were very different from what I’m used to. I really liked the atmosphere.

After lunch, the exchange of ideas continued. Once we finished, we headed out for a group dinner.

After that, we went for a little evening sightseeing, but I gave up relatively quickly as jetlag caught up with me.

The next morning, I was greeted by a view from the balcony that I could definitely get used to.

In the morning, the meeting continued with a representative from one of our partner companies. In the afternoon, we went on a city tour on a small tourist train, similar to the one in Pécs. From a photography perspective, the best idea I had was to sit in the back and take pictures from there.

We took a short break for a quick beer or soda, and then we continued our tour.

In that place, poultry are considered sacred animals, so they are not eaten by the locals and roam freely wherever they like, even on the roads among the cars. In many places, they even walk into stores, which is considered normal there. After sightseeing, we had a short rest, and then we went on another boat trip. We went out to the ocean to watch the sunset.

After the boat trip, we went out for dinner. We timed it just right and avoided getting drenched, as it only poured while we were eating.

Later at the hotel, we wrapped up the last evening with a cigar smoke-filled debriefing.

The next morning, we packed up, took some group photos, said our goodbyes, and headed to the airport.

It feels great to work in a place where my work is appreciated and recognized. I particularly like that the rest of the team approaches work constructively, with cohesion and true teamwork rather than division. I’m grateful for this opportunity to Julie, Jordan, and especially Attila, without whom I wouldn’t be here now!