Perspective

Yesterday, I paid a visit to my friend and hairdresser at Rage Salon in Campbell. We did the usual catch up, standard hairdresser small talk, but then the conversation turned towards how we felt about where our lives were going.  I told her about my intentions to move back in with my parents to 1) save money and 2) be able to take a part time/contract position if the opportunity came about in a great company.  I have come to realize that I don't really have an area where I excel.  I think that I have the personality and knack to be great in project management and marketing and communications, or some combination of the three.  However, I have had the threat of my mortgage hanging over my head since I was 24 and have never been able to take contract positions when they were offered (need a steady paycheck... responsibilities.. yadda yadda). This has led to a scattered job history and no real skill development.  Well it's time for that to change.  If I want to grow and develop my skills in marketing, I need to find a job that will do that.  At this point in the economic turmoil, people are starting to hire again, but slowly.  I have been told that for some reason, it is easier to get a new job when you already have a job.. which seems odd to me... anyways, I am committed to this new job search, and if a part time / contract / other position is my only option then so be it.

Now it was my friend's turn to tell me her story.  She is 4 years younger than me, but has been operating her own business since she has been 20 years old.  Our birthdays are 3 days apart, so while I am lamenting over turning 29, she is freaking out about turning 25.  She was talking to me about how she wasn't sure that she wanted to be on her feet 8 hours a day and working her ass off like this when she was 40.  She wondered if it was time to expand her horizons and focus more on her art and her other passions.  She makes good money at what she does, probably because she is extremely talented, but the fact that she was making these decisions at 25 made me feel that I was making this "big dramatic change" a little late in life.  Still, it is good that I am doing this. I am convinced of it. If I truly want to become a marketing professional, I need to train myself, gain work experience, and dedicate myself to turning my career around.

Until next post...

The Second First Post

This is my second attempt at a first blog post.  I tried to create another blog... but accidentally shared my innermost thoughts with my entire Facebook following... so I quickly deleted everything. 

This is me starting over.

I have been advised not to talk about my job online, since everyone knows once things are out there, they are out there for GOOD.  I started this blog to express my feelings in sort of an online journal.  No real names will be used, nor will real company names in order to maintain a hint of privacy.  However, my job is what is giving me the most cause to start this blog. 

A little about me.  I am 28, turning 29 in a few weeks.  I am not married, but have a wonderful boyfriend of 3 years who I love with everything I got.  I own my own condo and have so since just before I turned 25.  I have a caring, supportive family (my brother actually sent me flowers at work because he knew I was feeling down!!) who I would do anything for. My friends are awesome, supportive, and a particular brand of crazy which makes every time I hang out with them a fun experience. By all indicators, life is good.  And life is good... I have my health, everyone I love has their health, and I am employed in one of the toughest economies in a loooooooooong time. I also have just completed my MBA degree from San Jose State University (woo hoo!!)

So why start the blog? What is possibly wrong?

I feel that I am in a very transitional time in my life.  I have felt this way once before when I was about 23.  I was coming back from a trip to Brazil with a girlfriend from college when I just completely dreaded coming back to my life in California.  I took a deep look into myself and realized that I wasn't happy with the way my life was going and needed to re-set.  I promptly got out of my lease and my tiny apartment in Palo Alto, moved home, and developed a new (old) circle of friends. Eventually I quit my job, found a new one closer to home, and moved into a single family home that I rented with my friend Cathy. 

I am feeling rather lost in my life and need to re-set again.  The job that I currently have I originally got as a part time job for some cash flow while I went back to school.  Things changed, and I have been here for about 3 years. Now that I am done with the degree, I don't really know what to do with myself. The job I have is not what I want to do.. well it is close... but there is no room to grow, no further opportunity.  The organization I work for is wonderful and do wonderful things, I just feel that it is time to move on.

I have told my roommate that I am moving home, and she has until October to tell me if she wants to rent the whole place from me or if I need to start looking for someone new to rent it. I feel that a lot of changes are going to be happening in my life lately, and I need an outlet.  I will keep a record of everything that happens and how I feel about it.  Maybe someday I can look back on this and  advise others to / not to do what I did.

Until next post...