The latest life change ;)

It's been…  Oh at least a few months since the latest major life change.  Figured it was time for another one ;-P  In review -- last December, I sold GRS and relocated the farm back where it started.  Then in the spring Chris and I got engaged (still makes me grin when I type that :) and the wedding plans started.  They will, at some point, perhaps, rate a post of their own -- if I can figure out how to make it interesting.  Anyways -- shortly thereafter I moved to Paris.  No, not *that* one.  Paris, Ontario.  It's actually a really nice little town, and I liked Chris's house a whole lot more than he does…  But it's soooo far away.  From anything and everything in my world. 

I job hunted out there all spring and summer -- gave it a really valid effort.  But all my contacts, and my contacts contacts, are in Toronto.  No, that's not quite true -- I had one contact out there who actually got me an interview in Waterloo.  And the interview went really well; they basically told me the job was mine if I wanted it.  But unfortunately the pay wasn't really reasonable, the hours would mean I'd have to stop teaching, and it was still a solid hour's drive.  *sigh*   So I turned them down.  And then couldn't find *anything*.   So come summer I started to accept that I wasn't likely to find anything out there and in September moved my search to Toronto.  I continued sending my resume to the void -- which has to be the most frustrating endeavor ever.  And eventually my contacts came through and suddenly found myself with interviews at two different companies for two very different positions.

One was a communications position.  High intermediate level with a decent amount of responsibility and reasonable pay to go along with it.  I went through three interviews with them and did some case studies.  It had the plus of a very exciting job and good money right from the start.

The other is a project management position.  This one is very junior -- basically as entry level as project management can be, and pays accordingly (really about half way between the first and second job) but it has huge growth potential and a pretty solid career path.

It was a hard debate, but the pm position won out -- mostly because they really seemed to want me there.  One interview and done.  And because I liked the security of a future path.  Stop laughing ;-P  It would be nice to go more than 6 months with nothing changing.  But not this six months because I'm Getting Married!!!!  Hahaha and then not the next 6 months either cause we'll be moving.  But maybe after that?  Potentially?

So the job's been accepted, Steph and I did a quick "update Laur's business wardrobe" shopping effort, and Sunday I moved back to Oakville.  It really sucks not living with Chris but it's just too far a commute (hence the upcoming move once the house is renovated…).   Of course I slept not at all on Sunday night and Monday went to my first day on the job with no sleep.   May as well start as I intend to continue eh?

Started rather inauspiciously as the train I got on was standing room only *sigh*  But got to work on time and the world was good.  Day one was insane.  Fascinating, but insane.  Lots of meetings, orientation, tours, getting set up.  They handed me a laptop almost as soon as I walked in the door.  And I found out we're moving offices!  Hahaha during the orientation there was a lot of "this is how it is, but only for three weeks".  New office is on the PATH so I'm fairly excited about that.  Really hoping the weather holds till then :)

I was pretty zonked by the end of that day, so instead of going to the barn, just went home.  Ate some dinner, calculated how early I'd have to be in bed to get eight hours of sleep, took some zzzzquil, and suddenly it was day two.

Which was a lot calmer.  Still meeting people and getting organized and a ton of HR courses etc (although have to admit was the first time I've seen the anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism one *g*   Ironically the only one you could actually skip the presentation and just do the test).  After work was a timing test -- how fast can I get to the barn without leaving work early.  I caught the express train.  And definitely didn't make it to the barn in time to teach a 6:00 class *sigh*.   Lunged my pony, who looks more like a round bale these days than a pony, and rode for all of about five minutes before teaching.  Got home way too late to make the 8h work, even if I fell asleep right then.  But I was high from teaching so that wasn't going to happen. 

Day three's over and slowly things are starting to settle.  I'm really enjoying the job so far, and the people have been awesome.  Very welcoming and certainly a super-organized onboarding process.  I've cut back on my teaching hours so hopefully will be able to make it and still get to ride my horse occasionally.  The worst was going to the barn without Sasha.  I miss my puppy!   And she's not talking to me :(   Bailey greeted me w/ more enthusiasm than Sasha did when I got home.  So sad :(   She's always come everywhere with me since she was a puppy and I'm sure doesn't understand why I'm leaving without her now.  Somebody's usually home by lunchtime so it's not like she doesn't get attention or turned out, but still not the same.  And not with me :(  But such is life.  We'll get used to it, I'm sure.

Looking forward to going home on Friday.  Doing absolutely nothing but hang out with my fiancée and my puppy on Saturday.  And, you know, skydiving on Sunday.  Cause wouldn't want life to be boring ;-P