This week has been so disorienting. I had a nice 4-day weekend, after finishing up my seasonal contract. I petsat over the weekend, played in the sun, biked, and went to happy hour.
Then I totally splurged on myself and spent $27 on a facial and pedicure at the local beauty school. It was fabulous! I kept thinking, I’m not going to enjoy these luxuries during the day, so mind as well have some fun! I highly recommend going to beauty schools for much cheaper services. The key is, you need to have time. They are learning so they are not just rushing you in and out as some salons do. I almost never get this kind of stuff and it was a treat!
I’ve also forked over more money related to my job. I am starting to realize the unexpected expenses that come with starting a job. I had to officially (and finally) get my OR driver’s license, which cost me $65 for the license and the fee to take the test. I haven’t taken the test in over 12 years, and some of those questions are ridiculous! I had a question involving a rural road and a horse that I got wrong. I can’t imagine any scenario of me driving near horses, but I have to remember Portland is not like the rest of Oregon. Also, I have a huge learning curve at my job with some of the technological applications. They will train me on the applications, but I want to make sure I am learning and growing quickly, so I signed up for a workshop that will help me with this stuff for $50; so far I’ve spent $115 towards my job.
I also need to stop being lazy and bike to work. My job is no longer in walking distance, but the bus options aren’t very good and I really don’t want to fork over $100 a month to take the bus. Biking would be free, I’d bike 8 miles a day, which is a decent workout, and it would be environmentally friendly. Usually the environmentally friendly route is the cheaper route, so I just need to get it together.
So far I am loving everything and really excited to dive in to this next chapter. I can’t wait until I’m no longer ‘new’, and I ‘get’ everything. I can’t wait to feel more settled with my finances and see my first check at my new pay rate! Right now I’m still in transition mode, and that is ok. It won’t last long and I’m so glad there is a transition. As my partner’s mother has mentioned, this is a small miracle! Having my contract end on Friday and having something lined up is so perfect. I am still so grateful, and so happy with everything.
I won’t be able to check blogs at work, so I am going to try to wake up earlier and stay up late to catch up on everything. I do miss everyone during the day!
How was your week? What are you grateful for this week?
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10 comments
What an exciting next step in your life!! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and definitely let us know how the new digs are! I’m merely grateful that I don’t have my sore throat anymore so I can eat at 100% capacity rate 😉
I am glad you feel better! Being sick is the worst 🙁 Eating is important! Enjoy the weekend too, my dear.
How exciting! Check with your new employer to see if they offer free bus passes. I know when I worked in Seattle a lot of companies did that! You never know…and hey if it’s raining you probably would rather take the bus to work no? What new apps are you learning. I hope you start to feel settled soon!
So many people at my work ride their bikes, rain or shine. It’s a Portland thing and I need to get over it. I will probably still take the bus sometimes when it rains, but I want to lower costs and increase health where I can! I am starting to learn Indesign, Photoshop and about the backend of their website. Having a blog has helped a little with the latter. 🙂
good luck with your new start, it sounds really exciting! I go to beauty schools for haircut too, some are free, other have a flat small fee. This week I am grateful for being reunited with my family, especially my 2 yo adorable little niece.
Yes, it is exciting, thank you! I love beauty schools, so cheap! That’s great that you get to see your family and your awesome 2 y/o niece! Enjoy the time together.
Does it feel “real” yet? Congratulations on the new job and I can’t wait to hear about your experiences.
No, it doesn’t feel “real” yet! It feels surreal, but as time goes by, I’ll get used to it and it will become my new reality. I am just now adjusting to the fact that I don’t have to have that pang of guilt or panic for not looking for jobs, or not applying for enough. I love it! I hope you had a nice weekend, my dear.
Yay for treating yourself to some well deserved pampering. I really need to look into where the local beauty schools are. I’ve never had a facial but would love to try one. This weekend I’m thankful for my mom, but sad we can’t be together today on Mother’s day.
Yes, you should! Facials are great, really illuminates your skin. I just retrieved your comments from my spam folder 🙁 Thanks for your support on the job and sharing your interview experiences with me!