The World According to Shawn
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Today is the last day of 2008, and if I look back to one year ago I never thought I would be sitting in California today looking back on a year that was both good and bad. On New Years Eve 2007 I was in Paris with Jennifer and Damien which ended up being a really interesting trip.
Once I was back to work in Ireland, thats when I began the difficult task of running my own branch of the business from Limerick. I only lasted 3 months working from my home office in Limerick, but in hindsight the planning wasn't done properly and enough money wasn't put into it. If I were going into that task today a year older and more experienced I think I could do a lot more with it.
By the end of March I was making plans to go on a farewell trip to england for two weeks and then come back to the States to start fresh. The 3 days spent in London remain the single greatest 3 days of my young life so far. The timing was right, the people were perfect, and the city magnificent. There is absolutely nothing about that trip that I would change.
When I came back to America I stayed with my mom for only 3 weeks before it was time to head out to California for the sun, fun, and a job of course. I was warned about what the atmosphere at my new job would be like from Joe Dooling, but nothing could have prepared me for the next six months. Since June I have worked for the same company here in California, I don't like to mention the name of it, just in case something were to be linked to me. Right from the beginning I knew it was going to be difficult, but I set in my mind all I had to do was make it six months and then I can apply for positions in other departments. The manager that I got stuck with, seems to be one of the toughest in the company. She has been a manager for just under a year, but her turnover ratio has to be absolutely astronomical. The rate I have seen people coming and going is rediculous, and for no other reason really than that she is a difficult woman to work for.
A week ago today was my official 6th month with the company, which means that I did achieve my goal, and things seem to be falling into plan. I may have a new position with the company secured by Friday which would help 2009 start off as a potential good year.
Things I have planned for 2009 so far include two trips that are already paid for. In mid January I am going to central Florida to see my parents and my brother and sister, all for the first time since back in May. Then in mid- March I'll be jet setting to England for 2 weeks of business, but also some fun. There are a few other places I want to get to in 09 including, San Francisco, Seattle, Phoenix, and a trip up to Toronto again, its been a long time since I have been there.
I am feeling under the weather right now, but its time to celebrate the New Year California style. Happy New Years to all of you, and I wish you happiness in 2009!
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Once I was back to work in Ireland, thats when I began the difficult task of running my own branch of the business from Limerick. I only lasted 3 months working from my home office in Limerick, but in hindsight the planning wasn't done properly and enough money wasn't put into it. If I were going into that task today a year older and more experienced I think I could do a lot more with it.
By the end of March I was making plans to go on a farewell trip to england for two weeks and then come back to the States to start fresh. The 3 days spent in London remain the single greatest 3 days of my young life so far. The timing was right, the people were perfect, and the city magnificent. There is absolutely nothing about that trip that I would change.
When I came back to America I stayed with my mom for only 3 weeks before it was time to head out to California for the sun, fun, and a job of course. I was warned about what the atmosphere at my new job would be like from Joe Dooling, but nothing could have prepared me for the next six months. Since June I have worked for the same company here in California, I don't like to mention the name of it, just in case something were to be linked to me. Right from the beginning I knew it was going to be difficult, but I set in my mind all I had to do was make it six months and then I can apply for positions in other departments. The manager that I got stuck with, seems to be one of the toughest in the company. She has been a manager for just under a year, but her turnover ratio has to be absolutely astronomical. The rate I have seen people coming and going is rediculous, and for no other reason really than that she is a difficult woman to work for.
A week ago today was my official 6th month with the company, which means that I did achieve my goal, and things seem to be falling into plan. I may have a new position with the company secured by Friday which would help 2009 start off as a potential good year.
Things I have planned for 2009 so far include two trips that are already paid for. In mid January I am going to central Florida to see my parents and my brother and sister, all for the first time since back in May. Then in mid- March I'll be jet setting to England for 2 weeks of business, but also some fun. There are a few other places I want to get to in 09 including, San Francisco, Seattle, Phoenix, and a trip up to Toronto again, its been a long time since I have been there.
I am feeling under the weather right now, but its time to celebrate the New Year California style. Happy New Years to all of you, and I wish you happiness in 2009!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas!!!
This was my 3rd Christmas in a row doing something completely different than what had become the norm in the Haynes household growing up. I spent the day in California, with my friend Joe, we watched the Celtics and Lakers game and had dinner. It was not what I had been used to, but it was still a decent day. Looking back to the last time I spent xmas day with my parents in New Jersey back in 05, I was beginning to grow tired of the same old tradition year in and year out. In 2006 and 2007 I experienced Christmas in two different places, and I really grew an appreciation for it all over again.
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This was my 3rd Christmas in a row doing something completely different than what had become the norm in the Haynes household growing up. I spent the day in California, with my friend Joe, we watched the Celtics and Lakers game and had dinner. It was not what I had been used to, but it was still a decent day. Looking back to the last time I spent xmas day with my parents in New Jersey back in 05, I was beginning to grow tired of the same old tradition year in and year out. In 2006 and 2007 I experienced Christmas in two different places, and I really grew an appreciation for it all over again.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
I'm writing this blog from the office here at work. The US economy continues to go south, and many of the people I know who lost there jobs a few months ago are still looking for employment. I am hoping that I don't join the growing list of unemployed citizens. The 4th quarter of the year in most companies tends to be a time where everything slows down as they build up for a huge 1st quarter in the new year. The education business is still a business just like everything else and with slow downs come lay-offs.
Since I started working for Bridgepoint Education at one of there universities. I have seen 7 or 8 people fired or forced to resign, and I've only been here 6 months. You would assume that this means the turnover is very high, but whats actually happening is that those people aren't being replaced.
On one hand I am afraid I might lose my job, but on the other side of the spectrum I can't see myself living in California forever, and it's been a nice 6 months living here but very uneventful for what I ultimately see myself doing, and where I want to be. If my tenure here in my current job is ending, I will take that as a major hint and attempt to get back overseas as soon as possible.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
The temperature here in San Diego has been down to the 60's and 50's, while its is chilly when you get used to 80 degrees everyday, it is nothing to compare to any winter I have gone through before.
In Ireland and England the sun virtually disappears during the winter months, if you get one sunny day between December and March people start to think the world is coming to an end. It does get colder than in San Diego, but nothing to compare with the places I spent the majority of my life so far.
This weekend in Boston there is a severe Ice storm, apparently its so bad that the state of Massachusetts has declared an emergency. Once when I was living there it got down to - 11 F and the entire harbor was frozen solid. Typically the winters there were so cold, snowy, and harsh, I definitely don't miss being in college there from November til April.
Of course the place I spent most of my life right around New York City has a very similiar winter to that of Boston and New England. Being about 200 miles to the south of Boston it is somewhat milder. It gets very cold and there is a lot of snow, but in my time living there, I never experienced ice storms in the New York area. Winter was still long and unpredictable, where it could snow on any given day between November and late March.
I am not really a big hot weather guy, but I have been spoiled by the climate here in Southern California. In the next couple weeks I hope to make it up to San Francisco to see what its like up there, I have heard great things, so my expectations are high.
