For Money

Work has its highs. Its lows.

Toward the latter part of 2006, and after celebrating my one year anniversary with the company, I hit my first (and undoubtedly not the last) low. And by low... I mean a deep black-hole infested crater (catch my drift?). It was bad. After chatting with unreasonable clients and vendors for ten consecutive hours, I'd end each day in a huff. Sitting at my desk - face in hands - contemplating on whether or not I wanted to start crying. Not because the job was hard, but because I was exhausted - mentally, physically, and of people. And let's not even get into the time I got into a fight with the company Prius. Damn car, couldn't figure out how to work that gadgetry. I guess that's the price I had to pay for skipping past all of the entry level formalities and starting my career at the professional-technical level.

I guess the reason I'm telling you this is because... the storm has passed and the roaring tides have settled. Finally. It took two, almost three, months of extra-hard work (and a long talk with my boss - basically telling him I was at wits end) to actually like coming into work again. I have time to stretch in the morning, and actually care about what clothes I pick out to wear.

My job is by no means glamorous, but I've got the name of a huge corporation under my belt to give my resume some back-bone when I start looking for a new position in December. I've got amazing coworkers... and if it wasn't for them, I probably would've gone Britney and shaved all my hair off by now. My benefits and pay are amazing (though I'd love an increase in paid-vacation days), my management is responsive, and our operations center is centrally located in the mecca of the inland region: sandwiched between Victoria Gardens and Ontario Mills. My hours are flexible and I can run to Urban Outfitters on my lunch break to raid the sales rack. Oh, and there are 2 Targets, 4 Starbucks, 2 Best Buys, 1 Barnes and Noble, and 40-50 eateries within a 1 mile radius. Score!

But the best part? It's getting to see the way that people live. To see how grateful they are after I visit their home and issue them a $100K check to put their lives back together. It's pretty phenomenal. I only wish that there was only the good side. But I deal with Californians - a demanding demographic - so there will always be a bad. Nevertheless, when it comes to my job, I can't start or end each day without being reminded of how blessed I am...

Okay I lied, the best part about my job are the business trips. And per diem.