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22 May 2005

On Thursday I decided I wanted to move back downtown. Working full time and going to school part time results in me waking up at 6:30pm and getting home at 11pm, leaving me literally sick and tired and with no time to do any work (or anything else for that matter).

About twelve hours later, I almost decided to move to Ottawa when on Friday morning I discovered a few missed calls on my cell phone and an urgent e-mail in my inbox.

The Director of the Department of Economics at the Library of Parliament wanted to talk to me about a job in Ottawa which was to start May 30. It was all so late into the month because of Thursday night's budget vote--they'd only received funding for the summer position then, and were consequently in a hurry to get it filled. I called Ottawa twice on my cell and then FINALLY after enough telephone and e-mail tag I FINALLY got to talk to him. In the end, I decided not to move because I'm already so rooted here in the city (between summer school and my law firm job).

Out of curiousity, I asked him how many applications they received. He told me "literally, hundreds." After HR sorted through them, he asked for ones with specific qualifications, skill sets and past experience and then those were sent to him for further evaluation, and I ended up at the top of the pile, despite the obvious complication of me being in Toronto and having to relocate to Ottawa (which at the time I applied I was fully willing and ready to do should it ever come up. I just thought I got screened out SO FRIGGING FAST, and consequently I was totally caught off guard when they called/emailed).

I was floored. Little old froshy ME, first in NOTHING until now. I literally felt on top of the world, or at least the country, and that I had it ALL (minus a Louis Vuitton bag). Five really great job offers (two feds, one provincial, one private sector, and lifeguarding), and a really great interview I got to turn down (municipal). I wish all of this funding stuff was sorted out even just a tad earlier. I would've SO moved to Ottawa (or Calgary or Niagara or Montreal or any of the other places I applied to that required travel or relocation), lived in summer residence there instead and picked up a transfer credit or two at night school at the U of O while I was at it. DAMMIT!!!!! But I really adore Toronto and the people at firm I'm working at are absolutely fantastic and I LOVE the fact that I can walk to the TSE on my lunch (not that I have money to buy stocks or anything, haha). It's all the glitz and glamour of Toronto--and of course the subway line which Ottawa is quite lacking in!--that I've grown appreciate so much.

This weekend has been very relaxing. I got off work SUPEREARLY (like, 3:30pm) on Friday and went shopping to celebrate my Library of Parliament job offer and my first pay cheque of the summer. In the evening Vanessa and I went out to catch up and all that jazz. Ally came over for lunch (I love lunching on my patio outside) yesterday and then we just hung out all afternoon (Numb3rs, physics, Palm Pilots, oh my!) and tomorrow I might be going to the Distillery Jazz Festival with her and her UW buddies. RAH RAH RAHhhhhhhhhhhhhh I feel so high. But Janette was even higher on Saturday: high in a plane above the Earth on her way to CA!!! Miss ya girl, have lotsa fun and sun (and tequila <3)!

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12 May 2005

I'm eight months older, a lot more jaded, increasingly irritable, and not a shred wiser than when I moved downtown in September. If anything, I've somehow managed to un-grow up in some ways (e.g. in academia if measured in marks, but not just that).

Since I wrote my last exam eight days ago, Janette, Ally, and Brandon came to visit me and helped me move out, I am now back in Markham in terms of where I sleep on weeknights and most weekends (but hopefully not too many!), and I've started working at a law firm downtown. My job makes me insanely happy because I get to be in the city everyday (<3 <3 <3) and it's honestly the first job I've had that I actually coveted for an extended amount of time, not for the sole reason of actually being employed, but just to gain experience in and get a taste of the field.

I am sure you want to know what else makes me damn happy.

Besides this job, I was offered one office job in each level of government except municipal because I cancelled the interview (federal at Pearson Airport as a customs officer, provincial at the Ministry of Community and Social Services, and municipal at the Town of Markham in the Economics department) and I still have my lifeguarding gig (which is technically a municipal-level job if you want to get really specific. I might actually drop in favour of summer school).

But it doesn't end at 4 job offers.

I also got into a research opportunity course for second year. I will be researching with 7 other students under the direction of an Economics prof. That made my day yesterday because my applications were so fucking late beyond all belief and I really didn't think I'd get in even if they were on time.

The last time I was so fucking excited about life and being alive in general was probably a year ago, and that euphoria manifested itself in stretch SUV limos, $500 prom dresses, sizeable scholarships from 3 schools, and an acceptance from Trin (with NO scholarship whatsoever, but I didn't care).

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