(no subject)
i'm wondering if this whole "yearning for self-discovery" mode is unique just to 20-somethings or if this will be a phase that will resurface several times over the course of my adult life? okay, it's less of self-discovery as a paranoia that i am not being more assertive with navigating through my career and personal life in an effort to find total happiness and satisfaction. i'm not sure if that made any sense. fact is, i am very happy with my life, more specifically with my personal life. i could not imagine being as happy as i am with allen if i happened to be with someone else. as juno says "he's the cheese to my macaroni." and he really is. and after almost 2 1/2 years together, we are now taking the next natural steps together. we've been pre-approved for a mortgage. let me just put out there right now that we are not running off and buying a house together at this exact moment. we just wanted to know how much we qualify for and what kind of rate we can get. i was actually really surprised at how much we were approved for, which really helps our house hunting. also, my personal preference is to be married before i buy a home with someone so if you want to go ahead and put the pieces together, you'll see exactly what next steps we are planning on.
i also have to laugh because i recall many pensive conversations with my friends back in college where i vowed that i was going to do the following when i moved up here 1) rent a loft in the city 2) get a job in broadcast journalism 3) enjoy single life as long as possible 4) get married and buy a house after 30.
here's what really happened: 1) i've lived in three different apartments in the suburbs since graduation 2) got a career in promotional marketing 3) fell into a relationship a month after i moved here 4) shopping for a home just shy of my 25th birthday.
so much for planning!
i think that whole yearning for self-discovery thing really comes into play when i start thinking about my career. my whole life, i've been so well-adjusted to constant change. i've lived in six states and moved between 16 different homes/apartments over the course of my young life. the longest i ever stayed at a single school was 3 1/2 years and that was my whole college career. i've even had two professional jobs in 2 1/2 years since graduation. so for me to have broken the 1 year market at this company, well that was quite a big deal for me. unfortunately, my brain is wired in such a way that i start preparing for the next big move after a year. do i want to strategically move up in this company or should i continue seeking out career opportunities that better fit my desires - more writing, more creativity, more sleeves-rolled-up-hands-dirty nitty gritty campaign and event work. like many people, i want to feel like i'm making a difference - in the lives of others AND in my own. i don't want to get stuck in an industry or a job track that isn't completely true to my passions and skill set.
seriously, this has to be a 20-something phase.