- The other day I was walking to the bus stop and my bus cruised right past me, about two minutes early. This bus goes from Oakland, where I live, to San Francisco. I hopped on the next bus, which goes to downtown Oakland where I would have to transfer in order to get into the city. As I got on, the driver asked if I had missed my regular bus. I told him that the bus had been early and had passed me up. He said, "I'll catch it for you!" and proceeded to slam on the gas and do a high speed bus chase through Oakland. If there were people waiting at stops, he would open the door before he even got to them and would rush them onto the bus. It was hilarious! We ended up catching my bus, and the driver flagged it down and made the other driver wait so I could get on. I have never had so much excitement at 5 in the morning! It was fun!
- I am having issues finishing books lately. I started one I thought I would really like about the strife between the Hutu and the Tootsies in Rwanda, but it just didn't catch my attention and I ended up putting it down after about 20 pages. Then I started another about traveling in Chile that looked really great, and I am still working on it, but it's slow going. I just started a third book (at the same time) and am about 7 pages in and so far, it's so-so. I am not sure if my attention span has changed or what, but it's really frustrating because when I am not enjoying a book, I tend to procrastinate reading, which is something I normally enjoy!
- My boss asked me the other day if I could define "extravagant". I told him what I thought it was and then he asked me what the last extravagant thing was that I have done. I had a hard time thinking of anything! I have traveled, but usually I stay in cheaper hotels and often eat picnic foods. I don't really buy myself clothes or jewelry. I sometimes go out for an expensive meal, which is extravagant to me. What would you say if someone asked you that? What "wasteful" things do you spend your money on?
- I think there is something in the air these days. Three people I know are making huge job changes (and several others are thinking about it)! It is hard to change jobs after years in one industry (trust me, I know), but I am of the camp that it is worth it, even if it means a pay cut or a move to a different city. It is hard at first, and it sucks having to relearn a bunch of new things, but in the end, it often works out. A friend of mine worked for YEARS for the government, and all of a sudden up and decided to move from the Midwest to San Francisco to go to culinary school. This was 10 years ago, and now she is a successful restaurant owner and she is 100% happier than she was before. Sometimes the sacrifice is totally worth it!
What is on your mind today? What are you reading? Have you ever made an extreme career move (or thought about it)?
- I am having issues finishing books lately. I started one I thought I would really like about the strife between the Hutu and the Tootsies in Rwanda, but it just didn't catch my attention and I ended up putting it down after about 20 pages. Then I started another about traveling in Chile that looked really great, and I am still working on it, but it's slow going. I just started a third book (at the same time) and am about 7 pages in and so far, it's so-so. I am not sure if my attention span has changed or what, but it's really frustrating because when I am not enjoying a book, I tend to procrastinate reading, which is something I normally enjoy!
- My boss asked me the other day if I could define "extravagant". I told him what I thought it was and then he asked me what the last extravagant thing was that I have done. I had a hard time thinking of anything! I have traveled, but usually I stay in cheaper hotels and often eat picnic foods. I don't really buy myself clothes or jewelry. I sometimes go out for an expensive meal, which is extravagant to me. What would you say if someone asked you that? What "wasteful" things do you spend your money on?
- I think there is something in the air these days. Three people I know are making huge job changes (and several others are thinking about it)! It is hard to change jobs after years in one industry (trust me, I know), but I am of the camp that it is worth it, even if it means a pay cut or a move to a different city. It is hard at first, and it sucks having to relearn a bunch of new things, but in the end, it often works out. A friend of mine worked for YEARS for the government, and all of a sudden up and decided to move from the Midwest to San Francisco to go to culinary school. This was 10 years ago, and now she is a successful restaurant owner and she is 100% happier than she was before. Sometimes the sacrifice is totally worth it!
What is on your mind today? What are you reading? Have you ever made an extreme career move (or thought about it)?
That is so funny about the bus driver! You've had a few buses now pass you by when you were waiting in the morning! It's also interesting your boss asked you that. Did he ask you why he was wondering? I guess I spend more money on beauty products (face wash, moisturizer, etc.) that don't have parabens and other possibly cancerous/harmful chemicals in them, which could be seen as extravagant. But prob the most extravagant thing we've done is either taken a trip to Mexico for 5 days in 2012 at an all inclusive resort (but still affordable) or our 3 week European vacation. Both were totally worth the money and time!
ReplyDeleteI think my last extravagant thing was my trip to Europe last summer. We didn't stay in expensive places, but I didn't do the trip on the cheap, either.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to get better about abandoning books that don't catch my interest. Life is short. I don't want to keep trying to force myself to finish books I am not enjoying because then I just stop reading.
Ha, that is awesome that the bus driver really put the pedal to the medal so you could catch your bus! What a nice guy/gal!
ReplyDeleteThe extravagant question is a good one... I, too, feel like I travel pretty cheaply but I still consider travel extravagant because I know many are not able to afford to jet off to the places I've gone/plan to go. When I think of extravagant, though, I often think of expensive restaurants and that is an extravagance that is not worth it for me because I just don't value fine dining experiences.
I just finished reading a book that I ended up not liking called "The Empathy Exams" and next I think I am going to read "It's Kind of a Funny Story" which I think is technically a YA book. As far as career moves go, I haven't made any extreme moves yet as I have been on the finance career track for quite awhile now. I do think about making an extreme move, though, if I am not able to find a place/area of finance where I can see myself staying for the long haul. If I was going to make a big move, it would probably be going into teaching, either at a community college or perhaps in high school. But I would have to do a lot of research and soul searching before I made that jump.
I love your random thoughts - kind of gives me a glimpse into the REAL you, rather than the "this post has a specific purpose" you. =)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love your bus story! Just today, as Gavin and I were taking the bus to his preschool, the driver honked, stopped mid-block and let on a passenger who, by the way, hadn't even been looking to see if the bus was coming yet. So thoughtful!
I have three books here at home that I'd like to read next. I tried picking up one of them three different times and for whatever reason couldn't get past the first paragraph. I finally set it down and picked up one of the others. I think, sometimes you just have to be in the right mindset for certain styles or topics - and maybe you can come back to that book later when you're in the right mindset for that particular book.
I'm not a particularly extravagant person, either. Sweets' and my last vacation before I got pregnant (and life changed for good!) was to Grand Cayman. Everything there was expensive, but since we were staying in a condo, we were able to eat most meals at home and save our pennies for a few nice meals out. We went to Eric Ripert's Blue at the Ritz. It was one of those AMAZING meals where not only was the food out of this world, but the service was top notch. I get itchy when there are that many waiters assigned to one table, but it was dazzling. I'd say the same thing about my 40th birthday celebratory meal - Sweets took me to Curtis Duffy's Grace, a meal that cost the equivalent of a mortgage payment. It's hard to justify spending that kind of money on food - definitely a "been there, done that, never doing it again" kind of amazing experience. =)
That bus driver sounds awesome! I hired 2 ladies to clean my house last week which might be considered extravagant. But it was so worth it!
ReplyDeleteMost pharmacists last an average of 5 years in retail - and honestly, by 5 years, I could feel the stress! But I'm good at my job, I have a really good position, and I'm well-paid - so changing isn't really on the table. If any one of those things were not true, I'd consider a change, because I am seriously ready to scream at the drug addicts hanging out in my pharmacy all the time.
ReplyDeleteThe last extravagant thing I did was have laser hair removal... four years ago. So expensive, and SO worth it.
I was working in PR and now I'm getting my Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. I'm struggling to get experience in preparation for my internship because I don't really have anything on my resume that relates to my new field. It's so frustrating but I know it will be worth it in the end!
ReplyDelete-Allison, www.withfaithandgrace.com
That is SO SO funny about the bus driver!! I love it!
ReplyDeleteI would consider our traveling extravagant. Even though we also try to budget where possible we have spent A LOT of money on traveling in the past five years. Like enough to put a down payment on a house. But I don't regret a single trip and it's all worth it to me! So excited to head to Maui in a few short weeks.