Ok, so it's only been four days since I left Sepia, but already it's a completely different lifestyle; one that is going to take some getting used to. For one, I see way more daylight, which I am certainly not complaining about. My days feel longer so I am able to feel more productive throughout the day. This can be attributed to working morning shifts at the catering company and assisting with night classes at SLT. Just the other day, I went to work at the catering place at 9 am (daylight) and out by 5 (daylight). So strange, compared to my life at Sepia where I went in at 1 pm (daylight) and out by 11:30 (definitely not daylight). I have also been going to sleep at normal hours (not sure what counts as normal in this world anymore though). By that I mean I am no longer going to sleep at 1:30-2:00 am simply because the adrenaline from the kitchen kept me awake, rather more like 10:30-11:00 pm. I also wake up at earlier times, say 7:45-9:00 am, which in turn gives me a longer and more productive day.
Is this schedule change such a bad thing, I ask myself? I'd say no. Change is good. It stimulates me to do more, see more, accomplish more of what I've been wanting to since moving here.
Here is what I will try to accomplish with my new-found daylight freedom:
*Finish all of those books I have started reading but never finished due to complete exhaustion and lack of motivation to do anything. And let me clarify by saying they are actually real books, with real pages, none of that kindle or nook business.
*Train for my marathon without also killing my body by working 12 hour shifts and running up and down stairs from the kitchen basement to the line.
*Blog more, example, NOW
*Eat healthier and not rely on "staff meal" (kitchen lingo) for my daily sustenance
*Cook at home more for my roommate and I (I doubt she will complain about that)
*See my roommate more, now that our schedules are a bit more synced
*Stage at other restaurants to learn. Never. Stop. Learning.
*Journal about said stages to keep brain active
*See my family in the burbs. A MUST-DO! Sorry ya'll for my absence.
*Participate in more city happenings, preferably the free stuff
That's all I can think of now.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Chicago-Versary: A Reflection on My First Year In The Windy City.
Oh My, how time flies! This week/month marks a big milestone for myself. I find that anniversaries and milestones are important marks in time to acknowledge because it allows us to properly reflect on our experiences. So for this entry I shall reflect on my past year and throw out some hints of what I'll be getting myself into for the next one.
I recently celebrated my 24th birthday with 6 of my closest friends. It was a night full of wonderful food, cocktails that were just so artistically crafted, and really amazing friends. It wasn't until our third stop on the night o' birthday drinkin' that I might have had a mini teary moment. It was pure happiness, I promise. We were at The Aviary, and the GM of Next (who was my RA at school...can you say small world?) surprised us and sent out a bottle of sparkling wine to toast for my birthday. It was such a generous gesture that after we had all clinked our glasses I just started crying. And that was followed by laughter of course by everyone at the table, including me. I was at that time simply overwhelmed by the thoughts about how happy I truly was and how lucky I was to have made the connections I've made and the friends I had. So with that I say CHEERS to friends and CHEERS to the best birthday ever!
Another big milestone we shall celebrate is my first year living on my own, well, not technically alone cuz I have a roommate, but you know what I mean. It's my first time not living on campus in student housing or with my parents, so yay for leaving the nest! I gotta tell you though, paying rent sucks. Just sayin. It sucks. Mind you, I certainly found a great apartment well within my low budget being a cook and all, but it's just kind of a sucky feeling to know you aren't really going to get that money back...bye bye $$$. Either way, it's been fun to live in the neighborhood I'm in because it is relatively safe at night and it is very accessible to other neighborhoods via public transit. It is also a very up and coming neighborhood from what I have noticed over the past couple of months, which makes it a very desirable place to live! I'd like to give a shout out to my Aunt and Uncle up in the burbs though because without them, I don't know how I would have had such a smooth transition into the city. They graciously let me stay with them until I found a job and an apartment and then even helped me move into my new place! It's times like these that having family close-by is such a blessing.
Preface to the next big thing going on: I got back into running a couple of years ago when I decided to train for my first half-marathon (that's 13 miles), thanks to my mom for planting the idea in my head, and since then I have run three half-marathons, each faster than the previous one, and was even a Winter Warrior! (those are the people who run through the winter time). I made the decision then to sign up for my first marathon, a feat I just rolled my eyes at. I always thought to myself, 26 miles, psh, that's silly, why would someone want to run that far? I'm good with 13. But something came over me after my third half-marathon. I just needed a new challenge. So here I am, a little over half-way through my training for the Chicago Marathon in October! Hint: It's October 13, and I'd love any of you to come cheer me on throughout the race! So that's that.
Hmmm. What else? Oh, yea, this is my last week at Sepia. It's been a year full of learning (again with the reflecting stuff) and I have just realized it is not the right fit for me. But isn't that what life is about? Finding your strengths and playing to them? Finding the career path that makes you happy and fulfills you with a sense of accomplishment and success? This is just part of the path, but now I must take a different turn.
So here we go, year of the dragon, year 24, my year, a new year. Tie those running shoes and Get Ready, Get Set, GO!
I recently celebrated my 24th birthday with 6 of my closest friends. It was a night full of wonderful food, cocktails that were just so artistically crafted, and really amazing friends. It wasn't until our third stop on the night o' birthday drinkin' that I might have had a mini teary moment. It was pure happiness, I promise. We were at The Aviary, and the GM of Next (who was my RA at school...can you say small world?) surprised us and sent out a bottle of sparkling wine to toast for my birthday. It was such a generous gesture that after we had all clinked our glasses I just started crying. And that was followed by laughter of course by everyone at the table, including me. I was at that time simply overwhelmed by the thoughts about how happy I truly was and how lucky I was to have made the connections I've made and the friends I had. So with that I say CHEERS to friends and CHEERS to the best birthday ever!
Another big milestone we shall celebrate is my first year living on my own, well, not technically alone cuz I have a roommate, but you know what I mean. It's my first time not living on campus in student housing or with my parents, so yay for leaving the nest! I gotta tell you though, paying rent sucks. Just sayin. It sucks. Mind you, I certainly found a great apartment well within my low budget being a cook and all, but it's just kind of a sucky feeling to know you aren't really going to get that money back...bye bye $$$. Either way, it's been fun to live in the neighborhood I'm in because it is relatively safe at night and it is very accessible to other neighborhoods via public transit. It is also a very up and coming neighborhood from what I have noticed over the past couple of months, which makes it a very desirable place to live! I'd like to give a shout out to my Aunt and Uncle up in the burbs though because without them, I don't know how I would have had such a smooth transition into the city. They graciously let me stay with them until I found a job and an apartment and then even helped me move into my new place! It's times like these that having family close-by is such a blessing.
Preface to the next big thing going on: I got back into running a couple of years ago when I decided to train for my first half-marathon (that's 13 miles), thanks to my mom for planting the idea in my head, and since then I have run three half-marathons, each faster than the previous one, and was even a Winter Warrior! (those are the people who run through the winter time). I made the decision then to sign up for my first marathon, a feat I just rolled my eyes at. I always thought to myself, 26 miles, psh, that's silly, why would someone want to run that far? I'm good with 13. But something came over me after my third half-marathon. I just needed a new challenge. So here I am, a little over half-way through my training for the Chicago Marathon in October! Hint: It's October 13, and I'd love any of you to come cheer me on throughout the race! So that's that.
Hmmm. What else? Oh, yea, this is my last week at Sepia. It's been a year full of learning (again with the reflecting stuff) and I have just realized it is not the right fit for me. But isn't that what life is about? Finding your strengths and playing to them? Finding the career path that makes you happy and fulfills you with a sense of accomplishment and success? This is just part of the path, but now I must take a different turn.
So here we go, year of the dragon, year 24, my year, a new year. Tie those running shoes and Get Ready, Get Set, GO!
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