Well, that didn't last long...

My stint with unemployment I mean... Yesterday I was offered a new job! And, I accepted... Yes, 9 whole days in the worst recession of our lifetime, blah blah blah, but it's all what you make of it! Although I am making slightly less money than I was at my other job at a bigger company, I think that overall my level of sanity and happiness will greatly improve. Yes, the commute is also a little longer, but there are carpools, and I'll figure it out... I lived in California for goodness sake.

A few lessons learned during this whole 9 day stress excursion.

• You have to start knocking down doors as soon as possible. I started the Monday after I quit my job. I didn't have a computer so I went to the library and wrote down things, got ideas, saved sites in my email, figured out where I needed to start to be successful.
• Your friends are some of the most amazing connections you have. Ask them if there are positions open where they work, send them your resume. You'll usually get a call about a position if there is one, and maybe even a phone interview.
• LinkedIn is you friend too. On Thursday of last week it was my goal to update my profile, and "friend" all of the people that I knew. It's so easy to update, all you have to do is import your resume, and play around with it a little bit to make it look pretty. Amazing. Within an hour of importing and starting to "friend" people, I had a random email from my new place of employment asking me if I was interested. I forwarded my resume to her via email and had an interview scheduled for the next day, it was great.
• It really is about who you know, and what you make of your relationships. I had to think about my references a lot, which ones would be more beneficial to which jobs. I knew for this new position that I am in that there were some vendors that I had worked with that were also in contact with the new place of employment and were trusted. It was the only reference that they called.
• Use other websites that you may not think of, linked in has job listings, and the great part, you can email the recruiter who posted it, instant connection! Also, Craig's List usually has some really good jobs on there, and they are all based on email.
• BE PERSISTANT. I emailed my new manager every day asking a question, if relevant, or sending a thank you email. It was a way to keep me at the top of her email box and on the top of her mind.
• Don't burn yourself out. There's a lot of "stuff" out there, not everything is good. Some of it sucks, and by just applying like crazy, every day, for everything that you see will leave you confused and frustrated. Apply for a couple of jobs, go outside, DO SOMETHING ELSE.
• Finally, if you think it can, it will. When I first quit my job, I had a plan in mind. I wanted to have a job before I left on vacation, but didn't want to start working until 3 weeks later when I went on a second vacation. That is exactly what happened. Even when it seemed grim, I just told myself, I want it, and it's going to happen, I'll make it work. And, what do you know, it did.

Well, there you go, advice for the job hunt... I'm off to finish packing for vacation and doing all the last minute stuff that I hate to do before you leave...

So, this starts my second week as officially unemployed, and I must say, I am happy that I am going on "vacation" on Friday... It's not that I'm getting bored, but I think I have to much time to well, think... I don't have the distractions at work every day where your mind is forced to think about other things because they are your job. If you are anything like me, your mind is constantly wondering between a million different things, I have such brain ADD.. I don't have to be doing a multitude of things but my mind is always in a million different places.. I try to wrangle it at least for sometime every day, because I think it's important to clear your mind for health purposes but it's HARD. And, some of the things I think about just aren't good, I mean, they are unrealistic, and well, probably crazy... But, sometimes, the world is trying to tell you things.. for example, today, the first blog on my blogroll was THIS and i thought to myself, wow, this girl is totally right.. Sometimes you just need someone to put you back into reality.. I mean, some of the rules definitely do not apply to me, but #1 totally does.. Everyone has that crazy girl in her, and it definitely is just insecurity and fear that brings her up... I am queen of over analyzing as well.. I think that this should be my mantra, go with the flow and stop over analyzing... and put things into perspective.. most of the time the things that I get bent about other people doing, are things that I do as well, and they mean nothing, so why should it mean something just because someone else does it.

Chelsea's message can be used everywhere in life, example: I am totally, insanely scared that I will never find a new job... and then, it just keeps going, ok, so I find a job, but what if it's a job I hate, will I hate what I'm doing for my whole life, blah blah blah.. That is completely irrational and just plain stupid, but yes, sometimes you do have to tell yourself that.. over and over and over, until you make yourself listen to it. So, I have to take a deep breath, remind myself to not be so effing dramatic and get on with life... Chelsea is totally right...

Anywhoo, enough of a rant for one day! :) I always seem to have to start of my posts with this.. ha, well, I am excited because I am going on vacation in 4 days... Not that it's much of a vacation because I'm not exactly leaving a job to go but it's still somewhere new and exciting that I haven't been (or been in a really long time). I think for the next month, I am also away, every weekend to a far off place, and couldn't be happier.. here's what you can look forward to in terms of blogs for the next month!

- This weekend: DENVER.. I am so excited I can hardly contain it. I lived with 6 girls in college, they are my best friends, more like sisters, and two of them live in Denver. I love it when we get together, it's like no time has passed and we just sit and laugh. Although we've all grown differently, our lives somehow still intertwine together in this amazing bond that we have. So, four of use will be in Denver this weekend. I guarantee it will be full of margaritas, food, laughter, pampering and just plain fun.

The ones coming are the two on the outside and the two in the middle, sad that Caitlin and Sarah can't come, but we will probably be calling and texting them A LOT. These girls are all just so amazing and I can't tell you how excited I am to see them and to just be with people who get me and I get them. Not that my Seattle friends don't, they do in a completely different way and I need them all too, but these girls just know so much more...

- Then it's off to the farm. I am going to visit the family farm of the boy. I have no idea what to expect, all I know is that it's harvest, the closest airport is 70 miles away, the town is 2,000 people, and it's all new. Thanks Blake for the below picture, you can find it all HERE

It will definitely be a new adventure, one I'm really excited about. I'm sure I'll have lots to blog about when I get back, or when I'm there, who knows.

Okay well, more about the adventures later, I'm off to actually get ready for the day, get dressed for my interview (!)... Ciao, ciao.

Post Numero Uno

So, here I am, blogging... Why, you ask? Because, I say. I just needed an output to say all the things that I want to say, and if you read then you read, and if not, well, they are on the web for the world to see! :) And I guess I started now because I have time. I recently quit my job... "Ack!" you say, "You had a job, and in a recession you VOLUNTARILY quit?!" Yes, I voluntarily quit my job in a horrible recession because for me, it was enough, and it was time to go. So, I did, I put on my big girl boots, and I left... Not without hesitation, or worry, but now, I'm out, and so far, so good. Yes, I am being a total miser, but it's probably good for me. It was one of the hardest decisions I had to make in my life thus far. Last time I left a job, there was a legitimate, sustainable, I can't work here since I won't be in the same state reason, I was moving home. I was leaving California and coming back to Seattle. This time I didn't leave town, I didn't have another job, I just left. All I know is one thing, I could not have done it without certain supportive and wonderful people in my life, from my awesome co-workers, to my amazing family, to my marvelous friends, and my unbelievably wonderful bf... I am sure that I owe each and every person involved in my life a drink and a homemade dinner because they have listened to me whine, cry, freakout, bitch, complain, etc., etc., etc. all with grace, I am a lucky lady! With that said, I am on to bigger, and different adventures...

So, now to the fun! What to actually blog about.. Well, here are some things I learned today:

• Google tasks is amazing. I am a total list maker and I love that this pops up in my gmail, my igoogle and on my blackberry AND that it has check boxes for when I complete an item... Ask anyone who had seen my college planner, it had home made check boxes and was color coded. Oh, and it also goes along with your google calendar, it's one smart tool!
• Thanks to Orangette, I saw this wonderful recipe that I am for sure going to try... I have always been a canned peach fan, and I think this is just an adult version, looks a little dangerous. (Here: Orangette)

Okay, that's it for now, I am trying to get into this whole blogging thing, as I am not working, I am sure I'll come up with many more exciting things to tell you all tomorrow.. :) Even though, I feel like I am so busy even though I have no actual, paid, job! Hopefully I'll find something new before this feeling wears off... and by hopefully, I mean, I will.