From the moment we began considering joining the international team, we got questions. But to be totally honest, they are almost always the same questions we asked Coca-Cola before committing to this gig! So, let’s tackle them head-on. And if you have any other questions about what we’re doing, leave a comment!
- What is Meadows’ job?
- Meadows is a Principal International Auditor on Coca-Cola’s International Audit team. For three years, he worked on the domestic side of the house. In January 2016, he made the switch to the international team, which travels to different Coke offices around the world to ensure their financial practices are up to par.
- What is the schedule?
- We are assigned to a new country every 2 months. This means that in a typical year, we will be based in at least 6 different countries. The program encourages weekend travel, so we’ll get to see a lot of the world!
- We will be in the program for roughly 2 years.
- We’re home for 2 weeks at the end of February/early March and for 3 weeks in December each year.
- Who else does this? Are you with the same people all the time?
- There are about 16 team members from around the globe on the international team. Meadows is currently the only American! Coke likes to mix up the teams, so we are stationed with a different combination of team members at each location.
- What did you do with all your stuff?
- We sold our house and both of our cars! We went into full-on liquidation mode and got rid of the big items. We stored our furniture and all of the belongings that we didn’t pack. We loved our old house, so we didn’t want to get rid of all of the furniture and decor we collected as well! As for the cars, it didn’t seem smart to store them — we’ll get new ones when we move back to the US.
- How do you pack??
- It’s important to remember that we have to be prepared for any climate, so we have three large suitcases and two carry-on pieces of luggage for the weekend. As far as our large bags: we have one summer bag, one winter bag and one bag of Meadows’ suits and work clothes. Despite my constant efforts to keep the bags organized and lightweight, we always seem to scramble to shift weight before long-haul flights!
- Ann, are you working? What do you do all day?
- In a last-minute change, I am not working while we travel. I spend my days keeping us organized, researching and booking our weekend travel and exploring places by myself. I also go to the gym (shocking for anyone who knows my stance on sweating) and keep in touch with our loved ones. Most importantly, I BLOG! This thing doesn’t just write itself!
- I thought the blog was going to be called “Chicken Fingers Around the World?” What is Meadows eating in foreign countries?
- Anyone who knows Meadows understands that his basic food groups are: fried chicken, bacon and cereal. Well, we’ve made a commitment to try local cuisine and avoid American food. No fried chicken for Meadows! Needless to say, it’s been good for his health.
- How can we contact you?
- We still have our American phones, but we rarely have the service turned on. So calling those numbers is discouraged 🙂 We’re both on WhatsApp and Skype, and we’d love to hear from you! Plus, you can always email us: annandmeadows@gmail.com