Preparing For Something That Never Comes

Have you ever been baffled by impending doom that fizzles into nothing?

I don't know how else to explain it except for seeing a big storm cloud approaching - you make an effort to get inside somewhere, you flip on the tv to watch the weather report, and you check out the window frequently to see what's happening. Then, next thing you know, the sun is cracking through the clouds and soon after that the dark clouds just seem to disappear, as if they were never there in the first place.

It's an odd feeling but a great one, right? It puts a smile on your face.

I don't know what it is but I have had a few moments like that at work - a big project that looks complicated and like it will need intensive work, but then things simply work out and everything is fine. What was originally needed is found in some form and the crisis has dissipated.

Actually, it's a very good thing because it means to me that you're ready with a defense, willing and able to attack a problem, and by looking at the problem from all sides first (strategy!) an alternate way is found.

So here's to the storms that just pass over...it means a bright, sunny day. :)

Time Really Does Fly

Today marked the beginning of my 6th month at my job...

I have already been working for 5 months!

It's true - time really does fly.

Sometimes It's Sad

So another part of moving and all that jazz that I have yet to talk about too much is that sometimes lonely feeling you get when you're in a new city, still don't know a lot of people, away from friends and family, and what are you to do? I know that I haven't written about it on the day it happens because I'm down, don't really want to write about it and make myself more sad, and I think I wanted to give some time for reflection so I could bring it to the ol' blog with some sort of lesson learned.

I don't know if I have found that lesson just yet...mainly sadness will hit me on the weekends because I'm not busy with work. During the week, I think of all sorts of fun things that I can do on the weekends to explore Dallas more, get out and get some exercise, sun, fun, and fresh air, or just do something. However, when the weekend actually comes I spend a lot of time at my apartment.

I blame it on being tired and needing to catch up on sleep, needing to do things around the apartment, needing time to just relax and not run around so much, but really I think it would be good for me to get out and do more. For one, I wouldn't think so much about not having someone to hang out with because perhaps I would contact someone to do something fun. Or I would just keep myself busy and, as I said, get to know this city a little better. But it boils down to my belief that I have fun doing activities with other people and I just don't think I have as much fun doing things on my own.

I may need to get over that one. This experience may be all about being more comfortable doing things on my own.

But I have to ask, what is the secret to dining alone? That, to me, would be just the most boring experience...unless I was on some tropical beach, sipping a frosty beverage, and watching the sun set. That's one of those things where the experience entertains you. But just a night out to dinner with yourself at a regular place - what makes that fun?

So at least I've pinpointed an area that I need to work on, improve, grow...

I Made a Drastic Change!

Anyone who knows me knows I have long hair. That has just been me for ever and ever. Even when I cut my hair "short" it was still below my shoulders. But I have done something drastic.

I didn't really want to cut my hair but I have been thinking about donating my hair to Locks of Love for a while now. I just felt like it was about time to do what I said I would and cut that 10-inch ponytail off.

Of course I had help from my life-motivationalist, my old roomie Julie. I have now for 2 years gone to Houston for New Year's and while I am visiting done something drastic. Last year was getting my eyebrows done for the first time and this year was the big haircut. (Yes, yes - I know. I should have done my eyebrows long ago but I needed to feel secure in that decision first and I am a slow adopter of fashionable things. At least I finally did it and they look fabulous.)

So on New Year's Eve, we walked into the salon, the guy put my hair in a ponytail and with a few whacks took off the hair. With trimming the dead ends first, taking the 10-inch minimum requirement, and then just trimming my hair and adding layers, my hair was cut a full foot!

Here are the dramatic results:

Before

(Yes, my hair was quite long.)

After

And the natural waviness of my hair created this...

Many a person commented on this change. It was really nice and I soon knew that anyone I happened upon would pretty instantly notice the difference and say something very nice. I have to say my favorite comment was from my next door cube neighbor, Andrew, who said this, "Something got a hold of your hair." Hahaha, he's awesome. :)

It's great that something so simple can make such a positive change - I hope that my hair makes a very nice wig for one of the children.

The All-Important Job Hunt

So I kinda feel like I haven't quite done with this blog what I originally set out to do - I want to talk about my move, my new job, and what all that does to your life. This includes the ups and downs, and I feel like I haven't completely represented things accurately.

I absolutely love my job; I'm not diggin' on my apartment much anymore...these things I've represented well in my blog.

But there are some things I haven't talked about that I may start doing posts on. Forgive the time-shifting. I will try to reference when these things happened so you'll have a better idea.

I wanted to talk about the time-consuming, boring, sometimes depressing, and just downright horrible time when you are looking for a job - yeah, sorry I made it sound so awful.

Let's start with everyone thinking you must have that job tied down before you graduate. I don't know about anyone else, but I was freaking busy at the end of my last semester. You still have to finish up projects, do presentations, take tests, and turn in papers. On top of that, you're sending out invitations to your graduation, coordinating graduation day activities, and you may be thinking and/or packing for an impending move. I am not all about adding something very important to that already-packed schedule.

So I decided that it was not important for me to add stress to a time when I should be finishing up my last semester and celebrating my graduation. Now I understand that not everyone has the luxury to do this - I feel lucky that I could. I graduated, I celebrated, I moved out of my apartment and back home with a firm idea that moving back in with my mom was temporary and that I really wanted to work at finding a good job. This plan doesn't always work out for everyone but suited me well. My motivation was that I enjoy working, I enjoy having a place of my own, I love my mom but don't really want to live with her, and having all of my stuff in boxes sucks.

I can't say that I was the most tenacious job hunter. I think it was incredibly boring to get up and sit at the computer all day looking at job postings, preparing cover letters, and e-mailing a bunch of companies - you just can't do that all day. I think a better way would have been to reach a goal every day of contacting so many companies, and then spend time doing other things just so you don't go crazy. I hate being un-busy. I actually really love when I have a lot going on so I feel like I'm not wasting time. I think when you're not working it's pretty hard not to feel like you're wasting time...I dunno, maybe it was just me.

The exciting time was when you got that coveted note that you have been accepted to interview. Then there can be all sorts of preparation work to get ready for said interview: do you have copies of your resume and references, directions to the company, confirmation of your interview time, have you gone over potential interview questions, checked out the company, have questions for them, do you know what you want, do you have your most capable outfit picked out, and so forth and so on.

After the interview is the most terrible waiting game. They can give you a ballpark of when you might hear but it's not certain. My waiting game was a month long! A month!! I literally thought I was going to explode every time I checked my e-mail or phone to see if I had heard anything back, every day...did I mention that was every day for a month.

And I was one of the lucky ones, I think. I waited to hear a long time about my job but it was one of the first jobs I applied for and one of two interviews I had before I actually landed the job. The other incredibly lucky thing for me was that it was the exact position I wanted with the kind of agency I wanted (big name but not a huge office), in a city I wanted, and when I interviewed it felt too good to be true. Lucky, lucky, lucky is all I can say. I feel so special that I got the exact job I wanted.

So there is light at the end of the tunnel! I didn't mean to make everything sound so horrible but it just really isn't a great time. The payoff is getting that coveted position with the company you want and things turning out great. Stick with it and all that mindless applying will pay off!

Great Quote for Planning

"If you want to understand how a lion hunts, you don't go to the zoo -- you go to the jungle."

- Sandy Thompson, global head of strategic planning for Saatchi, owned by Publicis Groupe

I am a Resource

Hmm, I have become quite valuable at my job, no?

I get requests from every planner to listen in on this teleconference, explore that new site or trend, keep up with new techy/bloggy coolness, and it has all made me quite the little resource in and of myself.

Not only have I set up a resources folder for the entire department to use, but I am pretty well informed on each of the articles that I put in there. I always send out new notes in an e-mail but also site myself as a resource for answering questions.

By gaining all this knowledge on trends, current events and news, presentations, research tools, etc., I have already noticed crossover of knowledge. I am more readily able to link trends to things, to see the emerging trends after reading several articles, and apply this learning to our brands. How cool! Though I don't have as much work experience in planning, I have this knowledge that perhaps the other planners don't have as much time to look into.

Knowledge = power! And I feel empowered that I have something very significant to offer my team. :)