Miss Coordinator

I finally got the big break I have been looking for! I am officially a coordinator at a non-profit!

I can't even believe it. I applied for a job I thought I had no chance at. I waited and waited and nothing... then a phone call a month later. An interview 2 days later. And a job a week after contact.

I'm freaking out a little inside. The job is so big. Can I do it? My new boss seems so confident in me. I don't want to let him down. I finally found the person who wanted to take a chance on me.

Life is changing. I'm a good scared.

Independence

There is something to be said about independence and the feeling it can bring.

This morning, a Sunday. I'm in my small kitchen. I want a coffee to start the day off. I grab my french press.

An AM ritual begins.

Grab the press.
Fill the kettle.
Turn on the stove.
Get the coffee from the cupboard.
Choose a mug.
Wait. Wait. Wait.
The whistle of the water.
The sizzle against the coffee.
Wait. Wait. Wait.
Press.
Ahhh.
Black hits white porcelain.
Mmm...

For some reason, this little ritual represents independence for me. I am alone in my own kitchen. Doing my thing. Uninterrupted. It's quiet. It's calm. I'm doing this for myself and that's all.

Just felt the urge to share my moment.



I've been very absent. Things in life are confusing, but interesting and amazing things are happening. The less I write here, you can assume the better life becomes for me!

Doors and Windows Opening and Closing

Hello World!

It seems I have been neglecting this blog. The way it seems is the way it is! I have been busy with so many other projects in life- real and virtual that I have not had time to log work on this blog.

However, today I have something to share.

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about life and careers and school and etc. I started to wonder if social services was the right path for me. I began to explore other options. Since I have been working mainly shift work for over 10 years now I decided that I wanted to get a regular ol' full time day job. A 9 to 5'er or an 8-4'er if you so please.

Shift work has taken a toll on my social life over the years. When you work shifts, you work odd hours. A lot of the time those times clash with your friend's or significant other's work hours. Your relationships suffer as a result. This is what has happened to me anyway because I have always put working as my priority. Not more important than my relationships, but being financially comfortable was important to me.

Anyway, I applied for some office work. Easy, brain-less, crisis-free work just to see what it was all about. I put my name into a staffing agency who called me this week to set up an interview.

I felt weird going into this interview because I had no idea what a normal job's interview would be like. I'm used to the detailed questions that are involved in social services like "tell me about a time where you diffused a crisis involving a client" or "how have you dealt with a client who was suicidal?" I wasn't nervous about this interview because I knew there wouldn't be questions like those, but I was still unsure what to expect.

My interviewer was very nice and pleasant. We went over my computer test results and she was impressed with my PowerPoint, Word, and typing skills. Yeah! That's a plus. I always thought I was a slow typer.

We talked about my current job in the Drug Treatment Facility. Then told me she may be hiring for a research assistant for the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada and told me she would rather get me to interview for that job which she thinks would be a better fit and I would be more satisfied there than just doing office tasks. I was floored! She also told me that by looking at my resume she can tell I am over-qualified to do the office job. I thought that was very nice of her to say. I appreciated the fact that she noticed the work I have been doing.

In summary, when one door closes another opens. If I hadn't quit my job, I wouldn't be looking for something else. If I hadn't gone out on a limb and applied for a menial office job, then I would never have met my great interviewer who wants to fit people into their perfect jobs!

In other news, I am in the running for a full time position at the Drug Treatment Facility. However, I won't know until the middle of March at the earliest. My contract there is up in April. Things are all up in the air right now!

Happy Reading Week to ALL the students!

Daily Meditation

"It's incredibly easy to get caught up in an activity trap, in the busy-ness of life, to work harder and harder at climbing the ladder of success only to discover it's leaning against the wrong wall"

-Stephen Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

I think this is very poignant for a lot of people who are soul-searching or career-digging right now. It's poignant in my situation of being unsure of the next path to take in my road. It really made me think, hope it does the same for you!

Happy Wednesday!

Solo Pie Chart

I have been living solo for 5 months now and I have realized there are definite benefits to having your own space. Benefits that deserve their own pie chart!!!!

 

As you can see, "Hanging Out in PJs on Days Off" takes the cake (or is that the pie?).  I love watching Keeping up with the Kardashians in my pyjamas and having a fully stocked fridge of pickles, club soda, and perogies.  However, I do miss living with my beau at times, of course. But, having a little space and independence feels great.

I haven't made a pie chart in so many years, I was lucky I even remembered and was able to fanangle my way through Windows 7. Haha. 

If you live solo, what are your favourite things about it?

Quarter Life Intervention

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Thinking about everything- life, love, school, work, travel, friendships, family. Literally thinking about EVERYTHING. Thinking about how these things affect me, how I interact within them, and how relevant they are to the big picture of my life.

The words "quarter life crisis" seem to echo in my brain these days, however, I do not want to label the type of change I seem to be going through. The change that is taking place within me is more of a shift from future oriented, work focused to a present-living, life focused. I felt like if I didn't make a change soon I will have missed out on a lot of life while focusing on school and making money. I don't want to look back and regret anything.

I've already begun my paradigm shift. I've been focusing on myself a lot more and doing things that make me happy- like snowshoeing for hours in -30C and planning to run a 5K race. It's a start! I'm also planning a solo trip- I just don't know where yet! I also quit a job that wasn't fulfilling me and no longer enjoyed. I did that because I felt like if I'm not enjoying myself or learning, then it is not adding anything to the quality of my life. It just clicked in my head and I decided to make the difficult decision that I was hemming and hawing over for months, and I am happy now.

I'm not sure where I picked up my instinct that work was so important to life. Obviously working = money and money = stuff and whatnot. However, the "stuff & whatnot" is exactly what I want to live without and have been for awhile now. I always seem to worry about money, it most likely comes from my poor upbringing- but as of right now travel is the only thing I long for.

I'm not sure if I have explained my feelings very well. But I can sum it up more along the lines of: life is more valuable than work.

Link Love

Just found this great post at the blog Yes and Yes.

I don't actually hate any of my 3 jobs, but sometimes I just dislike where I am at this point in my life. But this post definitely put a little smile on my face because I have recently been doing and done a few of the things the author mentions and I am slowly working toward something great! News to follow in the coming weeks!

Post Convocation Alphabet Project

This installment's subject is courtesy of Kim. A great friend to have coffee with a dish the dirt of our lives.

H is for Hope. Pretty self-explanatory. You hope you'll get good grades. Hope you pass that exam. That moves into hoping you graduate on time. Hope you can find a job you love. If it's me, hope you can find any job that somehow relates to your field. Then, hoping you made the right choice for your life. Hoping things will look up and hoping you didn't waste 5 years and thousands of dollars. We are all hoping we find our way in life and ultimately, I'm hoping I find my way to true happiness.

Have a great holiday season everyone!

Hope is in the air.  I can feel it.

Also, some interesting news coming in the coming weeks. Stay tuned. 

What I Learned Tonight

Some people will always finish last, no matter how hard they study or work. Some people will never get the breaks they are looking for. They just keep waiting and looking for that opportunity that never passes by, or it passes over them.

More on this subject at another time.

Post Convocation Alphabet Project

G is for Grand Ideas. The grand ideas that you have as a student- as you sit in class you think about how you will change the world with all the knowledge that you are accumulating. I thought about how I would be doing front line crisis work with women who were escaping abuse. Instead, I was just taking care of their children while other people did the work I longed for.

Overheard... at the Race Track

Enter two elderly couples with coffee cups. They sit at a table together.

Old Man 1: I hate this time of year

Old Man 2: I know.

Old Man 1: Holly jolly Christmas. You can shove it up your ass!

Old Lady 1: I hate Christmas carols.

Post Convocation Alphabet Project

F is for finals. It is that time of year again when students are writing their last papers and exams for their 3 credit classes. There are a few other letters that go along with finals; C for caffeine, L for late nights, and A for anxiety. Been there, done that, will probably do it again at some point. 


Good Luck My Studious Peers!  

What I Learned Today...

Today, I learned that laughter can solve almost anything- even suicide.

Today at 5:45am, I got a phone call from a 63 year old terminal cancer patient, who is also an addict. She was intoxicated and suicidal. However, laughter, a listening ear, and a new perspective was all she needed to "not feel like cutting [her] throat anymore." It may have gone against my Suicide Intervention training, but I got us both through it, and we were both thankful for that.

Post Convocation Alphabet Project

E is for the end of an era. Some people spend decades in school, they are called professional students. I was in school for just over 5 years. It was a big part of my life. When I finally graduated it felt weird to be done. It was even more weird when I didn't have to worry about saving money for next semester or choosing my courses. Now, I've almost forgot what all those things feel like.

Post Convocation Alphabet Project

D is for DEBT. Everyone with a degree (and some without) has some sort of debt whether it is a loan, line of credit, credit card, etc. I was lucky enough to escape with a minimal amount of student loans when I graduated, but there is no doubt that that small amount came at a greater cost. I worked full time and went to school full time. My relationship was part time and that is something that I need to live with and regret for some time to come.

Tingle & Itch

There is something going on just beneath my skin. It feels a bit like a tingle and a lot like an itch. When I scratch, it just gets more intense. It usually starts in an arm and moves to the back of my neck. Then, it shoots to the centre of my brain and sits for awhile. It hangs on and is hard to shake loose.

The feeling has been happening about once a day since the Fall weather has reappeared. Perhaps this feeling has something to do with the memory of last year's Fall. Or maybe it has something to do with the stagnation I have been feeling in my life and surroundings. Whatever the reason is, the tingle is exciting and the itch is driving me up the walls.

The thoughts, the feelings, the itch and the tingle... they all have to do with a beautiful city. Vancouver. I spent a fraction of last Fall there. The most beautiful Fall I had ever witnessed. Mountains. Oceans. Fog. Rain. Red, yellow, and orange Maple leaves as big as my head. I spent it on ferries and trains. Eating fresh grapes and wine. Shopping the market and walking Robson. These images, these memories, and feelings will not leave me now as we head into another cold, deadly Winnipeg winter.

I'm not sure if a mere visit will satiate the tingle. The itch is greedy and wants to witness the spectacular sites everyday. My future in Winnipeg is uncertain as my contract is up in April and my lease is up in June -then what? Until then, the tingle will remain and the itch refuses to fade.

Post Convocation Alphabet Project

C is for not choosing children over education. Sorry Mommies! I just had different priorities directly after high school that did not involve my legs over my head in the back of a pick up and faulty contraception.

What I Learned Tonight

I've just gotten home from an overnight shift. All I have to say is that my eyelids are very heavy and that 7am looks a lot like 11pm when you are walking to and from work in the rain and wind.

Post Convocation Alphabet Project

B is for Bad Decisions- like working midnights at the Salvation Army in -35C weather and anything involving youth work!

Post Convocation Alphabet Project

I'm taking after Kyla Roma and doing an Alphabet Project with my own twist.


A is for Acting like you're interested when people talk about mid-terms.