Dear few, yet very loyal, readers,

I’m sorry I abandoned you for so long. To ease the heartache you’ve experienced, I am here to provide you with an extra special announcement.

I submitted my application to graduate school!

Remember when I sent out a possible-too-subtle message to my professors who had not written letters of recommendation for me? (See this post to jog your memory.) I’m so thrilled that I was able to overcome that obstacle. But the application is only half the battle. Until this point, the only concern I had was getting those letters of recommendation submitted and writing my academic goal statement. It hasn’t crossed my mind that I might not get accepted and if I don’t get accepted, I would have to go through this entire process again. Oh how I hope that, in the unfortunate situation that I have to apply to graduate school again, it won’t take as long as it did the first time.

On a different note, I thought that being unemployed would give me an opportunity to brush up on my skills (piano skills, writing skills, yoga skills), but I have spent so much time looking for a job, thinking about looking for a job and stressing about looking for a job, that I have done hardly anything else. I’m sure that those of you who know me are not surprised…not even a little bit…not. at. all.

Thanks to great friends and an even greater boyfriend, I have left the house to experience the single week between Winter and Summer that we have here in Florida. We went out and supported the Central Florida Hospitality and Lodging Association at Bacchus Bash, we enjoyed the most commercialized Cuban food in North America at Bongos Cuban Cafe and we smelled the flowers in College Park. I am hoping and wishing and praying and dreaming that I will have a job by the end of the month so that we can go smell the flowers at Epcot.

Until next time!

xoxo

-L

http://www.flickr.com/photos/photomishdan/ / CC BY 2.0

School started yesterday for Florida colleges and universities.

Not for me.

I’m not going to school this semester, because I need to prioritize. I was supposed to take the semester off to get my grad school application in order. While I have plenty of time to do this (and I halfway intend to do it), there are so many other priorities I need to organize. (Organization: the theme of 2010)

I need to find the motivation to search for a job that will give me the type of experience that I want.

I want to work for…

• A company that encourages team work and promotes morale  (I want to be a part of something!)
• A company that supports higher education and can [occasionally] be flexible with their employees schedules in order to accommodate the pursuit of higher education
• A company that provides a service that enhances the lives of real people
• A company that not only encourages communication between peers and upper management, but requires it
• A company that can justify major decisions with sound logic
• A company that listens when employees have something to say
• A company where upper management actually has an open-door policy and they make a point to make you feel comfortable so that you will actually use that open-door policy when you need to

Since I graduated with my Bachelor’s, I have learned a lot about myself and about the kind of environment that is not good for me. What I’m looking for in a company is a direct result of what I have experienced over the past two years. Fear is not an effective form of management. Instant gratification is no way to accomplish long term goals. When morale is lacking, so is hard work

Maybe once I find this [possibly fictitious] company, it will be easier to pursue higher education knowing that my employer fully supports this. Though it pains me to put off school, this is likely the best choice for my sanity.

But before I can find my perfect company, I need to find my motivation.

P.S. If any of my former college professors are reading this, I would really appreciate a letter of recommendation for my graduate program. I’ve been calling and emailing you to no avail. I will make it worth your while! (Cookies, cornbread, spanakopita, whatever strikes your taste bud’s fancy!)

On December 15th, I posted my end of the year  to-do list.

I am a bit humored as I report to you that the only thing on my list that I actually followed through with was looking fabulous. I exercised (we got a Wii and the Wii Fit and the Biggest Loser game!) and bought new clothes that make me feel great!

On a less enthusiastic note…

I have been reading magazines, instead of my book. More on this later.

I did not finish my grad school application. I must admit, I chose a bad time to request letters of recommendations from professors. Take my advice: don’t start your grad school applications at the end of a semester. Professors enjoy their time off just as much as you do.

I found this article, with suggestions about how to approach professors about writing letters of recommendation and after the first of the year I plan to put these suggestions to good use!

I was eager to get back to school this semester…simply for the sake of being in school. However, I am going to take these next few months to finish my application and look for a job that is more closely related to event management. I thought it would be wise to get some career experience and a better understanding of exactly what I am getting myself into, before investing more time and money into my life as a career student.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mysza/ / CC BY 2.0

As 2009 comes to a close, I have list of things I’d like to do before I start another year.

• Read John Dufresne’s Love Warps the Mind a little
• Finish my grad school application (which requires bothering a few professors for letters of recommendation again!)
• Be energized! I’ve been working out lately and I’m feeling great. I want to keep feeling great! I am ending 2009 and starting off 2010 right!
• Write. I’d love to get a jump start to my financial situation for 2010. I have high hopes for my freelance writing career before 2009 comes to a close.
• Look fabulous! Everyone is taking pictures this time of year. Whether it’s Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve or anything in between, I am going to wear makeup and accessories so that in 2010 when I’m looking at holiday pictures from 2009, I’ll feel good about them!

What’s on your list?