20 Adventures from my 20s: #8

After graduating college, I went to Germany for a few months before settling into San Diego to begin real life. And what is more real life than...

GETTING MY FIRST FULL-TIME JOB

This one really WAS an adventure, and not a pretty one, because this was the height of the economic crash. I remember this season of life as being forever grateful and indebted to my roommates, Pam and Palak, who were always there to help and support, and would even buy me a Starbucks on their way home because they knew I couldn't afford it (yes that's how broke I was), and also my Aunt Judee who helped me in so many ways, including helping me revise my resume and setting me up with some of her work contacts for jobs that I did get, as a part-time receptionist in a fill-in pool of employees, and as a temp worker for a HR digitization project. I also remember that this was when my love affair with Stephen Colbert started. Pam loved him and had all the shows DVR'd. I used to get up in the mornings in the empty apartment, make coffee, and sit in front of the TV watching Stephen Colbert as I applied for tons of a jobs a day. He was something that stopped me from getting too overwhelmed or depressed in my situation.

But it's not really your 20s if you don't go through that I guess, right??

Well I had the aforementioned temp jobs, as well as substitute teaching, was working a lunch shift at a sushi restaurant downtown, but in the meantime I was just so BORED, to say nothing of not having money, and that was how and why I ended up applying for an unpaid internship I saw on craigslist.

It was exactly the type of internship that made those kids at USC or wherever file suit because of how illegal it was: this particular company (a private-industry English language school) had had to layover many employees due to the economic downturn, and were now enlisting free help to do those jobs instead.

I remember being VERY proud of this poster I made during the internship hahahaha

I was second most proud of this poster haha

But, I loved the job. And I loved the staff and students and the programming and just all of it. That was where I met Chrishon. I stayed there unpaid for awhile, even though I got hired to teach the occasional class here and there, and six months later or so, Chrishon announced she was moving ot Boston - which was heartbreaking, but also opened up the position for me, and I got hired in my first full-time job as a Student Services Representative.

DAT VIEW DO!!

Notice I saved the zoo poster? Ha!

I loved that job. I loved the work. I loved the students. I loved the programming. I loved my coworkers. I loved the staff. I loved my 17th floor office, I loved working downtown San Diego. 

My roommates took me out to celebrate that momentous occasion too, at Bar Basic, my favorite in SD!

It was certainly a new feeling, including the responsibility of needing to show up, and I remember really having an adjustment period to being in an office from 9-5, Monday through Friday, but all my friends were doing it, and this was when gchat was just taking off, and that helped a lot too! I was grateful to get my first full time job in my 20s, and one I loved!

P.S. Happy my birth month to all!!