I am going to postpone my next round of "lifestyle changes" to write about recent happenings.
The camping trip over July 4th was a lot of fun. We did all sorts of activities from a lazy-river-esque trip down the Jump River (expecting to take about 30 mins but actually taking 5 HOURS! because the river was so lazy) to eating ice cream in an old fashioned icecream bar in the back of a hardware store to holding on to the camper for dear life as tornado strength winds whipped across the property. It was raining so hard I could hardly hear anything and I thought the wind was going to turn the pop-up camper into an expensive tumble weed. Thankfully, we were just fine in the morning. The town of Jump River, WI held its annual July 4th parade, lawn mower races and tractor pull. I am a big softie for small town festivities! Most of our nights were cut short due to extreme heat and being covered in mosquitos but we found relief the last night as a cold front came through so we set off some of our own fireworks.
I started my classes when I returned from my trip and am loving them. I have taken my first exams and am looking to keep a 4.0 the whole way through. Work has been pushing me to strongly consider an MBA, even a dual concentration MBA. I am interested in doing it to secure my position within a non-retail department of the company but can start it no earlier than January 2013 as I want to stay within the limits of my company´s tuition assistance program. The more I think about it, the more I realize a dual concentration MBA might be best for me so that I will have more options in my career down the road.
As I am spending more time in the Finance department, I am realizing just how great of a fit this line of work for me is. I do not know if I am a "true accountant" but I do know that I really enjoy reporting and analysis, which is the kind of job I currently hold. I am moving so quickly through the projects I am given that they are having a difficult time keeping my Action Items list full. My boss had me training in various Modeling Techniques with one of the senior analysts for a day and I will begin working on it solo this coming week. I am very appreciative that they are allowing me to spread my wings. I also very much enjoy that I am not micro-managed. I am given a project and then given space to run with it. The people in my department are also great. They are all incredibly intelligent people (ahh, true nerds!) but also have good social skills which make them fun to work with. In addition to that, several of them have gone through relocation with the company, some multiple times, and they know what it is like to live in a new area within the pressures of our company, knowing few people outside of work. That being said, a lot of them are being incredibly generous to me and offering to show me around and introduce me to others. I could really get used to these people.
I have not yet given my 100% official green light to the company yet, but they are nonetheless working on me to be the first on the list to relocate to northern NJ area. Perhaps it is one of those things that I just need to agree to and then cross the bridge when it comes. In anycase, I told them that if I were offered for a position that I would be hard pressed to turn it down. I am interested in how this will unfold.
Given the recent change in my personal life, I am taking this time to get myself on a solid schedule, read voraciously, meet new people and really get a better understanding of what God wants me to do with my life. With that, I am looking into various options for a religious vocation. I do not know if it something that will start a new chapter in my life but at the very least, I owe it to myself and to God to seriously contemplate it as I have not yet done so. Please keep me in your prayers that I may have a clear understanding of my calling and a full desire to attain it.
Until next time!
