Balance

My sister starting her own blog/diary reminded me that I’ve been doing terribly at updating this. I enjoy writing, and while I often think I don’t have much important to say, I have to remind myself that one doesn’t always need to say the important things. The little things matter as well.

It is all about balance. Weighing what is important in one’s life. My new job has been a challenge to balance over the past 3 months. It has been intense. Besides one coworker, every other coworker including the management staff of 3 have either moved, given notice, or been promoted. There’s been new hires, and a changing of the guard so to speak. I haven’t been 100% happy with everything, I’ve come to realize that the equilibrium is slightly off. With a slower season approaching, part of myself is hoping that it rights itself, but part of me isn’t sure this is going to end up being my career path. I will say I’ve never worked with so many amazing people. And I still support the company 110% – even to the point of probably saying I can’t imagine ever renting from a different company. They have shown me how important excellent customer service is to me, and vital ways to make sure that it stays in the forefront of everything they do.

My bf and I are also trying to find balance in other ways. In healthy living for example. We are slowly adjusting ourselves to going to bed earlier, waking up earlier. Eating healthier, not drinking as much. I’ve lost 10-15 lbs in the last few months, mostly because of this job and the fact that I’m on my feet, constantly running around. I’ve never worked harder or longer hours.

So it’s not all bad, but not all good either. Finding the balance has been tricky.  I’m not even convinced that finding the balance is not solely changing one’s actions, but it can also be changing one’s mindset. For example, I always thought I’d have a desk job for my career. But I’ve come to realize I enjoy movement in my work. It’s kept me active, helped me lose weight, and I feel so much better about myself. And when I do get a chance to sit down at a desk for computer work, I enjoy it that much more.

So here’s to balance, and trying to find out who I am and who I want to become!

Persevering

Bridal Veil Falls – Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

The last six months have been a bit of a whirlwind. After over a year working at a local mom & pop car rental agency, I was offered a job at a really nice resort in Wailea. I’d had 4 interviews for various positions at that resort over the span of a year, and finally a job opened up that was perfect for my background, in a department that has zero turnover. I was told it was going to be a temporary (as in a year to 18 months), but I was happy to be working for a great company that I was quite familiar with.

The next three months were crazy. I had no on-the-job training, they just put me to work and expected me to figure it out. But I plunged in, head first, and was excited to coordinate with multiple departments orchestrating the billing for the groups that would come on property. I dealt with some pretty intense and high-stress people who expected perfection even when they hadn’t given us correct information. I learned how big an undertaking a resort is, and caught a glimpse of the enormity of how all the individual parts that make up a “resort experience” happen. It was definitely a learning experience. But it was fun and exciting and I hoped I could create a career there. However, a week before my 90 days,  I was unexpectedly called in and let go. It ended up being truly temporary.

So… back on the job hunt. Have I mentioned how much I don’t enjoy it? Well, I don’t mind revising my resume, or creating cover letters. I even don’t mind going to interviews. I’ve done so many so frequently that I think I do relatively okay with them. The really hard part is the waiting. My personal goal is to not have more than 1-1.5 months in between jobs. That way, if I get laid off in November, and get hired in December, it doesn’t look like there is a gap in my employment history.

I kept at the job hunt. I applied at other resorts where I had people who knew people sort of thing (Maui is all about that). I was even called in to interview for a position that opened up that I hadn’t previously applied for – which is always a good thing as it shows they actually took my application seriously, or that I knew people who talked about me positively, or both.

I finally stumbled on a job position that fits my background and my career goals. The interview process was pretty intense. Phone interview, then interview with the HR coordinator over all the Hawaiian islands, than a branch observation and interview with the manager and district manager, and then a final interview with the regional manager. I was offered the position at the end of the final interview.

So I’m excited that the job hunt is over, and that I’ll be in a company I’m excited to work for and with. I dislike working for a company just to pay the bills. I want to be passionate about my employer and the positive impact that they are making, their respected reputation that they’ve earned.

And a minor thing, I’ll be starting work by the end of December – so no discernible  gaps in my employment history. 🙂

But at the end of everything, while it was tough, I didn’t let myself get discouraged. I kept plugging away, knowing that the universe has something out there for me, I just need to find it. So don’t give up, persevere!

Photo credit: me – Bridal Veil Falls in the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon – July 2015

Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015

Wow, has 2014 been a whirlwind. I started the year off working at a company that I was desperately trying to find its replacement. Then I find the replacement, only to find out within 2 months that I’d be moving to Maui! 3 weeks after my boyfriend was offered the job both of us had packed and left the great Pacific Northwest and were living in the tropics. From an apartment in the city to a condo on the beach. From a dead-end job to a position where I’ve already been promoted to a manager. I can feel the difference in all the little things. I’m eating better, exercising more, and lost weight. We’ve simplified our life, and it’s been good. There’s been downsides – being so far away from family and friends is difficult. And I’ve missed the changing seasons – especially experiencing fall which is my favorite. It was the first Christmas where I didn’t do any decorating. But overall, I’m very happy with the changes. It’s been a good year. A year of growth, new experiences, new friendships, and even experiencing a new culture (and in some cases, a new language – pidgin counts as a different language – right?).

Here’s to 2015 and the adventures it will bring!

The dust is settling

Three (almost four) months since we made the epic adventurous move to beautiful Maui and the dust is finally settling and things are getting into place. We’re moved in to a beautiful condo, my man and I finally, for the first time since we started dating have the same days off together! I can’t even begin to describe how nice that is for us to have 2 whole days together. Half of our workdays, I can even come home to him having lunch made for me before I take him to work – so it’s like we get extra bonus time together. We’ve explored some of the island, but there is a ton more to see and take hundreds of pictures of (don’t worry mother dearest, there will always be plenty of pictures). I’ve done snorkeling, surfing, and hiking. I’ve been able to hang out with old friends who just happened to be visiting the island on holiday, as well as extended family who I haven’t seen since I was 8 years old. My work is chill and relaxed, and I didn’t have to take a pay-cut – which is great. My man is greatly enjoying his work, even with the bumps and dips that come with being a  manager. I’ve met a few friends – which is great. I thought people in Portland were friendly – well, Maui-ans put Portlanders to shame. “Talking story” is big here, and I’ll frequently have customers who will stand at my counter and chit-chat for 20 minutes or more, just because. I love that – it’s just so nice to be a part of a culture that values people and relationships and communication. Doesn’t have to be anything important, but those relationships are growing into how this island runs. More and more, I find out that it really is who you know and what you ask to figure things out. People are more accepting here – it’s such a small island that everyone knows everyone – or at least can figure out a relationship on how they know that person. A person at a bank is the sister-in-law of your next-door neighbor sort of thing. 5 months ago, I had no idea I’d be living in Maui within 2 months, but now that I am and things are calmer, I have no complaints, and am relishing every moment I have in paradise.

Life Changes: See ya later PDX, Hello Hawai’i!

I was getting antsy, I’ll be honest. I had spent three and a half years in a job where I wasn’t going anywhere, and the office morale was terrible. Then I found a great job, but I knew the upward mobility just wasn’t there, however it was a huge breath of fresh air for me to not be in such a toxic work environment. My immediate family moved 4 hours away from me a few years ago, and while my mother made frequent trips, it’s just not the same when I wasn’t able to visit my sibling’s basketball or volleyball games, or hear them in their school choirs. Portland is an amazing city, and it will always be “home-base”, but I feel that it’s always a jumping off spot for me. I left Portland as an infant, only to come back as a teen. Now I’m leaving in my twenties, I’m sure I’ll be back eventually.

My partner received an excellent job offer in Maui, and while it was definitely a tough decision, we decided to each pack two suitcases, sell and give away the rest of our belongings, and move to paradise! I’ve been here almost a month now, my car is here, we are moving into our beautiful beach-side condo tomorrow, and the hunt for a new job for me continues. I’m thinking I’m going to change my career path – where before it was obvious finance, I’m thinking hospitality is more in line with what I love to do. We’ll see. My finger’s are crossed, and I’ll make my own way here too. I’m optimistic and hopeful. So far the people have been extremely friendly and helpful, but as they say here: “Lucky live Hawai’i!” And I definitely feel lucky to be a part of this vibrant community.

Blue Skies and Happy Days in PDX

Anyone who knows and loves Portland, Oregon knows that when we have a blue sky – it makes us instantly happy. All of a sudden, everyone is outdoors, enjoying the sun and the fact that the sky isn’t some sort of white or grey color.

 

See? Proof! Everyone enjoying spring’s first blossoms, Portland Saturday Market, and the Waterfront!

My days personally have been looking up recently as well. I found a new job – was actually not expecting to find a job so fast since I wanted to be far pickier about accepting a job offer. I wanted to make sure that it was the right fit, not just monetarily, but personalities, job description and duties, company environment, etc. And I think I found it. My new job is night and day from from old one. I’m happy at work, smiling and laughing more during the work week. Even though it’s more demanding, I’m thriving in the environment. I feel empowered and able to suggest and make changes. I’m back working with several different departments and back talking to my customers. It’s been happy blue-sky days!

Optimistic

I’m feeling optimistic about my current job search. I’ve had acouple of interviews under my belt, a couple more scheduled. I have references ready, and am getting better at articulating what I’m looking for in a position, as well as explaining my previous job experiences and skills. Today I got the letter in the mail from the unemployment office advising me that I’m eligible to receive unemployment benefits, and the check has been cut and is on it’s way.  I also recently had an idea and went out and bought a spiral-bound notebook so I can jot down pertinent interview information. I’m going to try to keep in next to me this weekend, so when I have a question I want to ask a potential company during an interview, I’ll have all the questions handy, as well as the interviewer’s name  and contact info. I love my lists and writing important ideas and tasks down helps me keep focused and on track. 

I can’t say that I’m not enjoying being able to sleep in a bit every morning. I enjoy not having many time pressures, or work stresses. But currentlyI’m working on networking, building relationships, and finding new friends. I know my next job is out there. I know someone will be glad to hire me, and I’m excited to soon be able to put my skills and experience to use, and hopefully gain new ones. 2014 is going to be a great year!

Photo: Taken by me at Pittock Mansion Jan 2014

Life’s Twists

Life has its bends and turns on its path. Last month, a life twist occurred and I left a company I had been with for almost 3.5 years. My department had gotten toxic (really had been the entire time I’d been there). After being pushed and pulled and put where I didn’t want to be, and performing job functions that were below my skill and experience level, its finally time for me to concentrate full-time on finding the right fit, the job, the career, and the employer. I put my heart and soul into my work. I am a career woman. I love working, I love waking up early 5 times a week to get dressed for work. I love talking with coworkers, beating deadlines, trying to make my workplace better and positively build my company’s reputation. My old job just wasn’t a good fit for what I was looking to do. Well now I’m focusing on getting the right job.

I’m getting countless requests for me to be a collector again, and while I loved collecting, I’ve decided I don’t want to only do collecting for 40 hours a week. I want to work on my office skills, I’d love to eventually be an office manager. I can’t wait to utilize the accounting classes I took in college in the real world, learning how to apply what I learned.

Time for new opportunities, new adventures, new coworkers. A new place that will recognize my experiences, reward my efforts, and provide insight into how I can be a better employee. For now, my current job is sending out resumes, tailoring each cover-letter, scheduling interviews, and networking. Trying to enjoy each of life’s twists.

Life happens

I had grand intentions of writing a blog every day this month, and while I’ve had lots of ideas for blog posts, this week has been one of those weeks. My work has been stressful, my boyfriend’s new job has been frustrating, one of my boyfriend’s children had a major surgery, my house is a mess, and the weather got really frigid cold. Sometimes life just happens.

Being an Introvert in the Workplace

One of my absolute favorite websites is Ted.com. I highly recommend it – if you have 10 minutes and you want to be wowed, fascinated, or learn something new, or listen to something you know nothing about – this is the website for you. Every time I watch a video, I come away with a different perspective on that particular topic.

I watched this video solely because I saw it advertised at my library. The video shows Susan Cain presenting on a topic called: “The Power of Introverts”. I’m an introvert, and I’m trying to get into leadership within my company, and seem to take leadership roles elsewhere. As the oldest of seven, I was put in a leadership constantly growing up helping my mother keep the household running.

My boyfriend has been high-up leadership in restaurants for a long time, but he’s the extrovert. Don’t get me wrong, I can be out-going if I desire, but that’s not my tendency.

I’m part of a development of leaders program at my work, and through the course, classes, and the final project which we are right now working through, analyzing myself, thoughts, and actions, I’ve figured out that I don’t “have” to lead, but I end up leading if I don’t see the project moving forward. So I’ll delve in and do what needs to be done, delegate when necessary, etc. But as soon as that momentum is caught up by the rest of the group, I step back, and see where they take it.

That’s what happened with our final project. We are tasked with organizing and running a fundraising project with only 3 hours of meeting time (8-person group). It’s not as easy as you’d think, especially when approvals and proposals have to go up at least 3 levels of management. The first two weeks, albeit our management was gone on vacation, but it seemed we didn’t get anything accomplished. All our brainstorming was going around in circles. Finally we sat down to a meeting and I had a list of what I saw us doing, and told them up front that this is what I saw us doing, proposed splitting us into groups with a leader, and they were responsible for finding out the information we needed and getting back to me. Voila – that worked. We got our proposal pretty much completed, and then I went on a vacation for a week. By the time I got back, not a ton extra had been completed, but the proposal was presented within a couple days and we got a resounding approval from our management. Now I’ve stepped back a bit, but I’m still vocal via emails and such, but now that our team has the event underway, I’ve realized I’m still the informal leader. I still get asked for my opinion or for status updates. I’m really okay with that. I’m glad the rest of them are stretching their wings and owning their own parts of the project. I was telling my very extroverted been-a-leader-for-longer-than-he-can-remember boyfriend that being an introverted leader is probably more of a challenge. It takes guts to not micro-manage and let your team try to take on the individual tasks, while trying to keep everything on track and calm down the type-A personality because certain parts aren’t done according to when they wanted it to get done. I’m okay with helping out and not being in the spotlight. It’s really okay to not be extroverted, and just because you’re not, doesn’t mean you won’t do well in leadership. It’s just a different style.