I am trying to write more. It helps me process all the things I have going on in my life. This is not one of my better posts, but it is where I am right now. Baby steps.
First, I got a new job. And I have already started. I am now working for a company based in Seattle. I’ve been in Seattle, training, for the last 2 weeks. I have one more week of training before I go on vacation. More on that later.
This company is amazing. Everyone is SO NICE and helpful. They are busy, they work hard, but they all have lives outside of work. The executive team believes in grit, integrity, honesty, and open communication. It is a great fit for me. My career coach would be proud.
I am feeling a bit melancholy about it all. I wish I could retire now. I have so much life to live, I have family I want to support, there are things I want to do. I feel like I have been shackled to a job for 22 years and I tasted a bit of freedom. And I loved it. I crave it now. I want it. I desperately want it. But I had 5 months to figure out a way to retire and I wasn’t able to make it happen. So if I have to go to work, this is the company I want to be with, the people I want to work with, and the journey I am now on.
Second, my bestie Unicorns & Rainbows and I are headed to Amalfi Coast on June 16th. We will be there for 10 full days. I am beyond excited. It was a splurge, especially since the $$ came from my savings (since I was jobless), but it is going to be worth it. We are headed back to one of our favorite places, Villa Scarpariello. I hope Prince Luigi is there again. He is such a cutie.
Paula's Ponderings 
Welcom back Paula, to the work force. It must be a strange transition after a long while on the side lines. The new job sounds like it has a lot of go getters but not in the usual way you described former places you have worked. Are you the seasoned pro they have recruited to balance all the hard chargers? Balance in nature is one of the most difficult things to active. Human seem be better at extreams instead of conceiving.
I was reading a book about humans and learned one amazing fact (well many actually) Our propopensity for gluttony, especially with sweet things is hard wired in our brain. The author explained that in nature sweet things are not very common. So if a ancient human found a pile of fruit at the bottom of a tree, she/he would eat as many as they could because the pile and likely tree would be stripped by any number of monkeys, leamers, squirrels, raccoons that happened to come along after humans moved on.
In the past you have expressed a semi distain for the high tech business model, Make people buy the product even if if will not work for their needsa and can never be tooled to work for them, then lie to them when they complain. Is this new place going to be different? For your sake I really hope so.
As for your up coming vacation, I am so very jelious. The rocks, the mountains, the sea, the food, the wine and friends, did I leave anything out? The wine! Just mind the crazy drivers and bask in every amazing minute of it.
Congrats on the new job and have an amazing trip. Be well H.S.
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