It had been a few months since I joined eXtensoData and like every other employee, I was feeling anxious and burned out. We were desperately waiting for a break from all the chaos, deadlines, deployments, and ad hoc reports. As extensodata was growing in terms of market and human resources, it was crucial for the team to restore the interpersonal relationships and leverage the possible synergy. I heard about frequent recreational activities that used to happen in the past. However, the tide of the wave had changed due to COVID-19. As everything was going virtual for the past couple of months, everyone in the team was eager, and at the same time curious to know “the real” each other. There was a sense of excitement that I could feel in the office ambiance where everyone was looking forward to having a physical meeting that would nurture the harmonious relationship. That eventually made us plan the most awaited outing at Shivapuri.
The outing day arrived and we were all ready to take off from the office. Some came with their bikes, some with their cars and some with, well, just their legs. Our group ( me, Rajashree, Ramkrishna dai, Anik and Bishal dai ) was the first group to depart and the last one to arrive, thanks to the traffic and our terrible map following skill. On the way, we were having interesting conversations with each other, getting to know the little-known-us and especially Bishal dai turned out to be a cool guy. When I heard him talking about his college life, it felt like he was no different than me.The journey was a little tiring, but the breathtaking views of the destination made it all worth it.
It was a beautiful evening; we were playing football, singing, dancing and just feeling the warmth of togetherness.For me, the key highlight of the football game was Rishi dai’s energy and his dedication that was analogous to the same level of energy he demonstrates during the office hours. Also,Suresh dai’s level of increasing energy throughout the retreat and his valuable life lessons to us has equally appealed to me.
The next day, we went for a short and sweet hike. Even though we had planned to go for only a 15 minutes one way walk, the team got excited and decided to go further. But I didn't want to walk, so some of us formed a group and took a break in the biggest rock found there, and ended up taking lots of photographs. On our way back to the resort, we had planned to play bingo. I formed a team with Aashish and we ended up winning two shots out of three in the game. This turned out to be my first victory in bingo. The most entertaining game was the plate game- where we not only took back the plates, but also the memory we had lifted from the other’s perspective. This was the moment of self-realization and is what a corporate retreat should be like when the retreat ends.
I not only enjoyed the stay at the resort but also was able to demonstrate and learn teamwork skills where I failed in quite a few, but also won many games. I got to feel the team spirit in the professional space. To sum up, the experience at the corporate retreat will be hands down one of the most amazing memories that I would like to carry forward in my life. This experience has not only strengthened my communication, teamwork, and productivity in the office but has also improved myself in the personal relationship that I make. Now, all that I have are some pictures as a remembrance and as a memoir to make me equally enthusiastic regarding the next office retreat.
Experience Shared By: Paridhi Parajuli
