So I am trying to change. I know I want to write in my blog more. I want to get my thoughts out. I want to keep this online journal more up to date with my happenings. It is New Years Day. I am a bit tired from last night. I am being hit with allergies to where my scratchy, watering eyes are making me want to poke them out, but...I am going to write in my blog more so what better day to start and quit the excuses!
I keep hearing so many friend and acquaintances talking about how horrible 2012 was for them. I can't say mine was all bad. I actually think it went well. I have a job I really like, went on 3 trips out of the state, celebrated 12 years with Walter and, for the most part, and really happy.
It was the last quarter of 2012 where things got interesting though. Both Walter and I felt the itch for a change. We don't know why, but we did. So we started looking at locations. I wanted to find a place where there was a regional office for my job so I could hopefully keep doing what I am doing. We also wanted a place where Walter could further and succeed in his career. This meant a retail centered city. Ideally we wanted to live in San Diego. I had hinted with my boss that we wanted to move there. This came after our trip to see our best friends for a week who live there. We loved it. It was amazing. The universe had a different agenda though. While scrolling through regional office locations, Chicago popped up. Chicago. Humm, not somewhere I ever thought to move. I had been there back when I was 24, almost 15 years ago. Walter, never. Something felt right, to both of us. We we set our sights there. Walter started checking transfer options. I started looking at jobs at the office there. We both started talking to people about it. Telling friends of the option, and taking info about the city where we could. Then I booked a flight to go there.
It was instant love on the drizzling day we arrived. It was awesome. Real winter weather, public transportation, city life. It was somehow what we desired, but didn't know it until then. It took a matter of a few hours to know, and feel, that this was our next stop on our life adventure. We spent the first day taking it all in. The second we spent checking out potential neighborhoods (always something good to do since we probably would not be flying out again to find a place). The last day we saw more sights and bid a sad farewell to the city we would soon call home.
A little anxiety set in, knowing what we needed to figure out next. We have no current savings. We don't owe much on credit cards (fortunately), but are kind of cash poor also. It was time to set a budget. It was also time to figure out our work. Walter sent and email immediately to his boss. I, however, needed to wait another week to talk to mine who was out on leave. Everything seemed positive. My boss was all up for me working remotely. She just needed to talk it over with her boss. Walter's district manager was excited for the idea and with a change in a store, it looked highly likely it would happen.
A few days ago I got a call. My working remotely was not approved. Blah blah blah is basically what I heard after that. All I could think of then was that I needed to update my resume and get to hunting. So I did; immediately. I found a few good prospects, just needed the resume to be done. Fortunately this was a Friday and I had a whole weekend to start. Resume update, edit, rewrite. Linked In update, looking for business partners, searching jobs. Then Sunday came. Walter found out the transfer would not be happening. Decision time. Do we still follow our gut? or do we stay in Austin and keep going as we are going. And the winner is....GUT!
We know we have received all the wonderful things we needed from Austin and our guts are telling us to take the next step. What's the fun is there is no bump in the road. Job hunting continues, onward and upward!
So this should be the time where I put out to the universe what I want in a job while I am searching, so here it is:
- I want to work for a company that treats their employees like they are important, because they are. Whether I stay with Whole Foods, or move to another company, this is a must and something I have now that I do not want to give up.
- I want to love my job and feel my job finds me an important part of them. Their success is based on me and my success on them.
- I want a fairly casual work environment. Jeans and t-shirt would be great, shorts even. I am fine with jeans and a button up shirt (no tie).
- I want to be compensated properly for what I will be doing. This also includes paid holidays (if I leave WFM) and a generous amount of vacation and personal time. Medical, dental and vision also as well as some nice fringe benefits.
- I want a job where I can grow and improve my skills and given the empowerment to do so.
- I want to have this in place before the end of March 2013.
I think my list is shorter this time, but these are the important things that I want.
I am not sure what 2013 is going to bring, but I feel it is going to be awesome and exciting! I look forward to the new challenges and experiences this year has in store.
