Some of you may be wondering what’s been going on in the life of Julia. It’s been a long time since I talked about my plans or goals and I don’t want to lose that transparency with you on what’s up. But to be honest I didn’t want too much negativity on my blog and I’ve been feeling very negative for the past…I dunno, nine months? Last time we talked about this I was deferring my enrollment at SCAD until spring quarter and my Microsoft contract was ending in December.
So what happened? In January I told SCAD that I wouldn’t be joining them for Spring quarter and decided to make a new path for myself. I was so hopeful and positive about getting a job and I had a few really great interviews, but none of them went anywhere. Microsoft asked me to come back as a vendor (no more one year contracts) and I started back at Bing last week. It’s been a whirlwind. I’m definitely not into the groove yet, but I’m back on my first team with a lot of old work buddies, as well as some new friendly faces.
You may think, well how can Julia be negative about all that? You’re right. I made a financially sound decision. I’ll have a regular paycheck, insurance, and be able to put money into savings for big things like emergencies or trips or a car.It was a smart decision but it’s not what I wanted. I really didn’t want to feel like I was moving backward. I wanted to move forward and gain experience in something new. I feel like I’ve let myself down. SCAD was a dream I had for years and it didn’t work out. Now I’m focusing on a new dream with smaller goals, but I’m still trying to tell myself that I didn’t fail and that things are just in flux (some days this works and other days I still get upset). It’s silly to even get down because…
Life is actually very good. Not going to SCAD has brought Dan and I closer together (as if that was even possible), Dan has a really great job that he enjoys, and we aren’t struggling financially. We’re making plans to go on trips together (more on that below), we’re looking at apartments for when our lease is up (we have a roommate now but he’s rarely home), and we’re talking about getting a dog in the next year or so. I think I want a papillon. Yes, really. But we’ll see, that’s still up in the air. And the blog is good. I’m still learning and want to make a lot of changes but it’s still so much fun.
I signed up for Alt for Everyone about a month ago, as well as some of Alt Design Summit’s individual classes. I’ve had two so far and I love them! They’re very community-learningy. Plus, I get to take them in my pjs and I find new blogs to follow. They’re really cool! Definitely my learning style. Casual, a lot at once, and small class size. I’m very excited for Alt for Everyone but I must admit, I would really love to actually go to an Alt Summit conference. Networking, meeting people who’s blogs you admire, meeting new people, learning more about blogging. I’ve heard that it’s a very intense and exciting.
In June Dan and I are going to Princeton, New Jersey for a wedding. Dan is the best man and I get to be his date. Apparently all of this is going down during cicada season which sounds terrifying. But we hope to go to New York City for a day. I’ve never been! Dan used to live in NYC so he’s going to be a good guide (I hope). He’s already made a list of places I need to see – all the “usuals” like the MET, Chelsea Market, Central Park; and where to eat – we’re huge fans of Top Chef and Dan wants to take me to Gramercy Tavern, which is where Tom Colicchio made his name.
Jamie of The Lady and The Beard (also our very own Makeup Lady) is getting married in August. We’re not sure if we can make it happen yet, but if things go as planned we’re going. Neither of us have ever been to Cincinnati and Jamie and I have never even met! It would be so surreal to meet her in person. We’ve joked about how we’re meant to be good friends, but sadly there are more than a couple states between us. It would be really exciting to see the reality of this wedding she’s been blogging about and be able to celebrate with Jamie and Adam.
I want a dog soooooooo bad! I’m one of those crazy girls who passes a cute dog on the street that loses her mind. Though I mostly keep the spazz out on the inside, beneath my calm exterior, I think dogs have always made me happy. But it can’t be just any dog. Choosing a pet is a lot like choosing a boyfriend! Yeah they have to be cute, but they also need to be smart, responsive, and not totally insane. I know papillons are supposedly a yappy breed but they’re consistently rated as one of the smartest dogs out there, and they don’t have a laundry list of potential medical problems. They’re tough, intelligent, and peppy. Gimme!
