Showing posts with label fence. Show all posts
I've decided that my final days of this commitment will be a three-part series. Today's mission, focus on what went right in 2012.
1. Costa Rica - Without a doubt, one of the most 'right' things that I've ever done in my life. Committing to leaving unhappiness behind and expanding my personal horizons on a solo adventure in an amazing place. There will be more Costa Rica in my future; it's in my blood. It would take more entries than you'd be willing to read to expand upon all of the things that this decision taught me.
2. Trial and Error - I have a tendency to only try when I'm predominantly sure of an outcome. At least that was my standard operating procedure in the past. In 2012, I made it a point to say "yes" even when it made me nervous and to test drive the unknown.
By no means did I go to extremes, but I explored some of the notions that I've considered in the realm of independent employment. Despite a lot of learnings and some unique experiences (i.e. Hoarders), the love wasn't there. And you know what? I don't regret trying, not a bit.
There were plenty of other trial categories that did stick: eggs, quinoa, yoga. Sure, they don't seem earth-shattering, but to say that I've been picky most of my life is an understatement.
3. Slowing Down - It's no secret to me or anyone that knows me well, I'm very performance and expectation driven. Without realizing it, I can work myself to excess. Unfortunately it's easy for other people to take that as a cue to push you harder. Then I take it up a notch...vicious cycle.
So even after I returned from my international adventure, I forced myself to wait. Pressure mounted almost immediately upon my return - "So, are you applying for jobs yet? What do you want to do?" I knew I wasn't ready, but it took a lot of effort to wait until I was. Ultimately I felt a lot better about my decision, having held out until I was bored of relaxing.
4. Investing in Passion - My trip to Costa Rica was technically an investment. An investment in my happiness and sanity. I could've just quit my job, stayed in Chicago for that month, and saved a little bit. But it wouldn't have had nearly the same effect. My other great investment has been in photography. Yes, the recent acquisition of my dSLR was a monetary investment. But I've also invested a lot of time and effort.
As of today, I've spent 364 days finding photo ops to funnel into this digital channel of communication. Beyond that, I've invested time into researching dSLR cameras and, now that I have one, reading tutorials, tips, and tricks. Part of it could be that I'm stubborn and refused to not follow through. But a larger, and more important, part was realizing that even on the days when I drag my feet and have no motivation - I'm ultimately happy with the result. Even when I know that it's not my best photo, I know that I learned something merely through taking a bad photo.
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If I wanted to drill down to specifics, I'm sure there are many other things that went right. But for the sake of some brevity, I'll stick with the major themes that seemed obvious to me.
snow dappled \12.29\
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berries,
fence,
leaves,
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1. Costa Rica - Without a doubt, one of the most 'right' things that I've ever done in my life. Committing to leaving unhappiness behind and expanding my personal horizons on a solo adventure in an amazing place. There will be more Costa Rica in my future; it's in my blood. It would take more entries than you'd be willing to read to expand upon all of the things that this decision taught me.
2. Trial and Error - I have a tendency to only try when I'm predominantly sure of an outcome. At least that was my standard operating procedure in the past. In 2012, I made it a point to say "yes" even when it made me nervous and to test drive the unknown.
By no means did I go to extremes, but I explored some of the notions that I've considered in the realm of independent employment. Despite a lot of learnings and some unique experiences (i.e. Hoarders), the love wasn't there. And you know what? I don't regret trying, not a bit.
There were plenty of other trial categories that did stick: eggs, quinoa, yoga. Sure, they don't seem earth-shattering, but to say that I've been picky most of my life is an understatement.
3. Slowing Down - It's no secret to me or anyone that knows me well, I'm very performance and expectation driven. Without realizing it, I can work myself to excess. Unfortunately it's easy for other people to take that as a cue to push you harder. Then I take it up a notch...vicious cycle.
So even after I returned from my international adventure, I forced myself to wait. Pressure mounted almost immediately upon my return - "So, are you applying for jobs yet? What do you want to do?" I knew I wasn't ready, but it took a lot of effort to wait until I was. Ultimately I felt a lot better about my decision, having held out until I was bored of relaxing.
4. Investing in Passion - My trip to Costa Rica was technically an investment. An investment in my happiness and sanity. I could've just quit my job, stayed in Chicago for that month, and saved a little bit. But it wouldn't have had nearly the same effect. My other great investment has been in photography. Yes, the recent acquisition of my dSLR was a monetary investment. But I've also invested a lot of time and effort.
As of today, I've spent 364 days finding photo ops to funnel into this digital channel of communication. Beyond that, I've invested time into researching dSLR cameras and, now that I have one, reading tutorials, tips, and tricks. Part of it could be that I'm stubborn and refused to not follow through. But a larger, and more important, part was realizing that even on the days when I drag my feet and have no motivation - I'm ultimately happy with the result. Even when I know that it's not my best photo, I know that I learned something merely through taking a bad photo.
---
If I wanted to drill down to specifics, I'm sure there are many other things that went right. But for the sake of some brevity, I'll stick with the major themes that seemed obvious to me.
I'm simultaneously saddened, frightened, and appalled today. For the life of me, I can't fathom how people's minds bring them so far to the brink that they take the lives of innocent people. Innocent children. I feel fortunate that, for me, Sandy Hook Elementary School is a news story and not a personal one. Despite the fact that I can't imagine their pain, there are so many people that my heart aches for - and I'm sure that I'm not alone. Both now and across the unforeseeable future.
When you look at the things that people do and how easy it is to get caught in their path, you almost feel as though you should be scared to leave home. Movie theaters. Hair salons. Malls. Schools. Everyday places, places you wouldn't necessarily think to leave your guard up. Train platforms. Busy city streets. Highways. Places you use to get from point A to point B in everyday life. Innocent people have been shot in all of these places in the past six months alone.
I don't want to go through life thinking that nowhere is safe, but it's difficult to keep suspicion from edging its way in. There's no way to foretell and avoid senseless violence. Standard vigilance and common sense will keep you out of harm's way in most cases, but there's truly no way to expect the unexpected. So I'll keep living my life, perhaps wary but not fearful. If I fear every decision, I'm not really living anymore.
It's crushing for those who lost family and friends today to be in the midst of the holiday season, a time that's meant to revolve around the people you love. I'm sure their absence will leave an aching hole. Ultimately it's a good reminder to the rest of us. We don't know what next week, tomorrow, or even ten minutes from now will bring. So appreciate the people in your life while you're here to do it. Make sure they know you love them. And stop putting off the enjoyment of life for things less worthwhile.
These thoughts and feelings aren't particularly unique; you've probably seen them pasted far and wide across social media and the internet in general. But I felt the need to put them out in the universe.
shine a light \12.14\
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bokeh,
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When you look at the things that people do and how easy it is to get caught in their path, you almost feel as though you should be scared to leave home. Movie theaters. Hair salons. Malls. Schools. Everyday places, places you wouldn't necessarily think to leave your guard up. Train platforms. Busy city streets. Highways. Places you use to get from point A to point B in everyday life. Innocent people have been shot in all of these places in the past six months alone.
I don't want to go through life thinking that nowhere is safe, but it's difficult to keep suspicion from edging its way in. There's no way to foretell and avoid senseless violence. Standard vigilance and common sense will keep you out of harm's way in most cases, but there's truly no way to expect the unexpected. So I'll keep living my life, perhaps wary but not fearful. If I fear every decision, I'm not really living anymore.
It's crushing for those who lost family and friends today to be in the midst of the holiday season, a time that's meant to revolve around the people you love. I'm sure their absence will leave an aching hole. Ultimately it's a good reminder to the rest of us. We don't know what next week, tomorrow, or even ten minutes from now will bring. So appreciate the people in your life while you're here to do it. Make sure they know you love them. And stop putting off the enjoyment of life for things less worthwhile.
These thoughts and feelings aren't particularly unique; you've probably seen them pasted far and wide across social media and the internet in general. But I felt the need to put them out in the universe.
I often joke that I work in a frat house; it's just the four guys and me. Conversations range from dumb humor to things that are less than appropriate to baby strollers (they all have young kids). A debate over the hotness of Christina Hendricks ended with the tables being flipped, the guys demanding my celebrity wishlist.
Although there's no doubt that I frequently swoon over an array of actors, musicians and athletes, I scrambled to come up with a top five. I couldn't get past Adam Levine in the moment. I'm sure it's because I was so focused on my work. So I was required to promise that I'd develop a top ten. I've run through who's top of mind, but I'm sure there are some obvious ones that I'm forgetting.
This is not about to become an insightful post. Some days I'm not up for deep-delving thoughts and analysis. Like today. Instead I bring you my top ten, as it stands tonight, in no particular order. Not surprisingly, most of these guys have dark hair. And I want you to understand how difficult it was to not include 90% of professional male tennis players as a line item in my list.
1. Adam Levine
2. Matt Bomer
3. Andrew Garfield
4. Carter Oosterhouse (if you watch HGTV, you should be familiar)
5. Ben Affleck
6. Andy Roddick
7. Darren Criss
8. Ryan Gosling
9. Ryan Reynolds
10. Milo Ventimiglia (see: Gilmore Girls)
Hmm, now I can't stop myself from thinking of more possibilities, but I'm not willing to alter my top ten. Some usual suspects that don't make my list? David Beckham, Brad Pitt (maybe back in the day, not now), Channing Tatum, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio. If you don't have your own top ten, please take a moment to daydream. And feel free to share.
wood & wire \12.04\
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Labels:
beach,
fence,
sand
Although there's no doubt that I frequently swoon over an array of actors, musicians and athletes, I scrambled to come up with a top five. I couldn't get past Adam Levine in the moment. I'm sure it's because I was so focused on my work. So I was required to promise that I'd develop a top ten. I've run through who's top of mind, but I'm sure there are some obvious ones that I'm forgetting.
This is not about to become an insightful post. Some days I'm not up for deep-delving thoughts and analysis. Like today. Instead I bring you my top ten, as it stands tonight, in no particular order. Not surprisingly, most of these guys have dark hair. And I want you to understand how difficult it was to not include 90% of professional male tennis players as a line item in my list.
1. Adam Levine
2. Matt Bomer
3. Andrew Garfield
4. Carter Oosterhouse (if you watch HGTV, you should be familiar)
5. Ben Affleck
6. Andy Roddick
7. Darren Criss
8. Ryan Gosling
9. Ryan Reynolds
10. Milo Ventimiglia (see: Gilmore Girls)
Hmm, now I can't stop myself from thinking of more possibilities, but I'm not willing to alter my top ten. Some usual suspects that don't make my list? David Beckham, Brad Pitt (maybe back in the day, not now), Channing Tatum, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio. If you don't have your own top ten, please take a moment to daydream. And feel free to share.
It's a few days early yet, but I have Olympic fever. In fact, it's quite possibly as severe as the Grand Slam fever that I get four times per tennis season. The kind where you want to be glued to not only the TV screen, but also any available computer monitors, ensuring that you catch as many pivotal moments of athleticism as possible.
I vaguely remember the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Without a doubt, I was obsessed during the 1996 Atlanta games though - mainly with gymnastics and the medal count by country. Honestly, I was essentially keeping a spreadsheet on a giant whiteboard, which was updated daily. During my free hours, I was also penning a rather well-crafted Olympics newsletter with the assistance of Microsoft Publisher. I'm pretty sure there's still an issue of that floating around somewhere in my parents' basement.
In the sixteen years since then, my interest has spanned further into other sports. Gymnastics still holds the softest spot, even if I don't follow as avidly as I once did. No doubt that tennis, played on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon, will have my attention. I couldn't conceive of missing any Phelps/Lochte drama in the pool. Throw in a dash of track, diving, beach volleyball...it's going to be a busy time.
Here's to hoping that the games can go off without a hitch, staying a celebration of athleticism and not a demonstration of politics. I was in London when things got scary in 2005, luckily remaining unscathed, but that's not a scenario that I wish on anyone.
fence post floral \07.25\
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color,
fence,
flowers,
urban outdoors
It's a few days early yet, but I have Olympic fever. In fact, it's quite possibly as severe as the Grand Slam fever that I get four times per tennis season. The kind where you want to be glued to not only the TV screen, but also any available computer monitors, ensuring that you catch as many pivotal moments of athleticism as possible.I vaguely remember the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Without a doubt, I was obsessed during the 1996 Atlanta games though - mainly with gymnastics and the medal count by country. Honestly, I was essentially keeping a spreadsheet on a giant whiteboard, which was updated daily. During my free hours, I was also penning a rather well-crafted Olympics newsletter with the assistance of Microsoft Publisher. I'm pretty sure there's still an issue of that floating around somewhere in my parents' basement.
In the sixteen years since then, my interest has spanned further into other sports. Gymnastics still holds the softest spot, even if I don't follow as avidly as I once did. No doubt that tennis, played on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon, will have my attention. I couldn't conceive of missing any Phelps/Lochte drama in the pool. Throw in a dash of track, diving, beach volleyball...it's going to be a busy time.
Here's to hoping that the games can go off without a hitch, staying a celebration of athleticism and not a demonstration of politics. I was in London when things got scary in 2005, luckily remaining unscathed, but that's not a scenario that I wish on anyone.
Staying true to form for my curious nature, I've been spending some time looking into resources on chronological versus skill-based resumes. I consider it a valid topic, because 1) I'm starting to put some of those documents out into the wild again and 2) the positions that I'm interested in are more like second cousins to my previous job titles.
The final verdict was pretty much a wash; it depends on the recruiter/HR manager's preference. Arguments for skill-based say that it allows a candidate to better highlight their relevancy for a position unrelated to their work history or it makes an employment gap less glaring by shifting the focus. On the other hand, many argued that skill-based versions require resume excavation: Did they learn that skill in their previous role? College? Online? I suppose this is where a well-crafted cover letter could make a difference.
At the end of my digital exploration, I stayed with the more standard chronological version...with a twist. I started with an extremely succinct bulleted list of skills, followed by my work history, and highlighted only those tasks and accomplishments relevant to the qualities noted in the job description. Luckily, my job change is more of a tweak than a jump of industries, so a lot of my skills are still applicable.
The most astute statement that I came across during my search was a call for employers to state how they would like information presented to them. I can tailor my writing to whatever you want, as long as you tell me. And if you don't read cover letters, just tell me not to bother.
crafty fencing \07.10\
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Labels:
fence,
flowers,
summer,
urban outdoors
The final verdict was pretty much a wash; it depends on the recruiter/HR manager's preference. Arguments for skill-based say that it allows a candidate to better highlight their relevancy for a position unrelated to their work history or it makes an employment gap less glaring by shifting the focus. On the other hand, many argued that skill-based versions require resume excavation: Did they learn that skill in their previous role? College? Online? I suppose this is where a well-crafted cover letter could make a difference.
At the end of my digital exploration, I stayed with the more standard chronological version...with a twist. I started with an extremely succinct bulleted list of skills, followed by my work history, and highlighted only those tasks and accomplishments relevant to the qualities noted in the job description. Luckily, my job change is more of a tweak than a jump of industries, so a lot of my skills are still applicable.
The most astute statement that I came across during my search was a call for employers to state how they would like information presented to them. I can tailor my writing to whatever you want, as long as you tell me. And if you don't read cover letters, just tell me not to bother.