Work has continued to go well. My boss and team are great, and I really cannot complain other than not feeling too challenged at the moment but once my boss returns from maternity leave I'm sure I will begin to look at the next challenge. Unfortunately my boredom has gotten me to thinking, which is a good thing, but sometimes gets me itching.
Perhaps it's the lack of change in my life. Other than moving from one roommate situation to another, and changing houses in the process, my life has been fairly stable - work, work, a little more work, and racing. That's about it. Whether it's just my constant need for change and a challenge, perhaps getting a little burnt out, or truly being ready for that next step, my little mind has been whirling and I've been thinking.
There have been two predominant thoughts. The first is that I really, REALLY want to start incorporating my education (aka art/3D stuff) into my work. Whether that is through a corporate job, something that is kind of close (say marketing) or through freelancing, I'm back to working on a portfolio and looking at some freelance gigs to build up some references. In an ideal world I'd be doing that full time with some low-stress part time work on the side (hell, I'd love to keep my current part time job and do that full time).
My biggest issue is that is not the "safest" thing to do, nor is it something I am set up for just yet. It's going to take some time to build clients, resources, etc. In the meantime, I have my day job, and I'd like to keep growing in that, too - the skills are very transferable, even into the 3D world.
The second predominant thought has to do with my living situation. I'm tired of renting a room from someone else! I want my own place - even if I have a 2/2 with a roommate, I want something that is my place that I can manage on my own if need be instead of always piggy backing on someone else's lease, and being the second (or third, or fourth) wheel in someone else's home. Problem is, at my current salary, even with as much as I work, that is NOT going to happen unless I have ZERO fun money - which I'm not quite willing to NEED two jobs in order to pay my basic bills. Been there, done that, dug out of that hole, not willing to fall back into it. This area is SO expensive, it has me looking elsewhere. There are areas relatively nearby (Sacramento for example) that are WAY cheaper and would keep me in the area, but I'd need either a position with my current company or get lucky enough to land a good paying job - or make the freelancing thing a real thing VERY quickly.
All in all, I'm at a point where I can finally think these thoughts, however, due to the fact that my divorce financial disaster is finally coming to a close. There is still one account outstanding, but my last contracted payment has been made which is freeing up a lot of money over the next few months. My credit score is ever so slowly rebounding, finally getting into the 600 range. There's still a long ways to go, but it's getting there and I'm very stoked about that. I'm also stoked to finally, realistically, be looking at paying off some of my debts once and for all!
There was a light at the end of the tunnel - and I'm finally able to start stepping into it. This has been a long, miserable road. I've learned some things along the way, I've learned a lot about myself, I've become a bit more selfish and cynical, but I've also become more professional, personable, and open with people at the same time.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Living Life
The 'new' job has proven to be a great step. Not only is it a company I can move up and around in, it's also connecting me to a whole other world of networking and industry professionals I otherwise would never have met. To make the deal even sweeter, my current boss and the team I landed on have been extremely supportive of my career growth and development, a trait that is exceptionally beneficial to my future.
As my position has grown, my boss and the company have lived up to their promises (something my last several jobs did NOT do), and I couldn't be happier from a career growth perspective. The only thing that would make this ideal would be combining what I have with my education and working in that industry with a similar team. It's still on my radar to head that direction, but in the meantime I'm developing into a far more valuable employee than I previously was.
Outside of work, life continues. The financial ruin that the divorce put me into is still haunting me, as I can't seem to get ahead. The difference from a year or two ago is that at least now, all my bills are paid, I have food on my shelves, and I'm actually racing motorcycles, which makes all the hard work totally worthwhile. Yes, I may be working 7 days a week unless I'm at the track, but I enjoy my jobs, and while I sometimes overspend a bit, at least I'm making everything happen when it needs to. Financial institutions still consider me a liability, but I can say with confidence now that I'm paying all my bills, on time, and not borrowing more than I already have (although I'm not dropping those balances much yet, either, at least I'm not adding to them).
The financial strain is the final remaining piece from the divorce that haunts me. I've even gotten my name back! Feels great to not have that little nagging everytime I'd see my signature or name in print. Finally, that is ME! It really is an awesome thing.
Life continues its journey, which is always an exciting ride. I'm reminded of Samwise in Lord of the Rings:
"By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something."
As my position has grown, my boss and the company have lived up to their promises (something my last several jobs did NOT do), and I couldn't be happier from a career growth perspective. The only thing that would make this ideal would be combining what I have with my education and working in that industry with a similar team. It's still on my radar to head that direction, but in the meantime I'm developing into a far more valuable employee than I previously was.
Outside of work, life continues. The financial ruin that the divorce put me into is still haunting me, as I can't seem to get ahead. The difference from a year or two ago is that at least now, all my bills are paid, I have food on my shelves, and I'm actually racing motorcycles, which makes all the hard work totally worthwhile. Yes, I may be working 7 days a week unless I'm at the track, but I enjoy my jobs, and while I sometimes overspend a bit, at least I'm making everything happen when it needs to. Financial institutions still consider me a liability, but I can say with confidence now that I'm paying all my bills, on time, and not borrowing more than I already have (although I'm not dropping those balances much yet, either, at least I'm not adding to them).
The financial strain is the final remaining piece from the divorce that haunts me. I've even gotten my name back! Feels great to not have that little nagging everytime I'd see my signature or name in print. Finally, that is ME! It really is an awesome thing.
Life continues its journey, which is always an exciting ride. I'm reminded of Samwise in Lord of the Rings:
"By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something."
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