My How Time Flies

My baby brother turned 17 today! I cannot believe it. I think I am in more shock right now than my parents are (although mom did cry last night and placed two pacifiers in a cake – yes, Tish really did that. Scott and I were a tad freaked out). In NJ, we receive our driver’s license at 17, and Scottie passed his test this morning. I felt like a middle-aged weeping mother as I ran outside in my running clothes to watch him leave with my car (this could be an issue) for work. I forced him to take the picture you see above. I then proceeded to tell him to drive safe, turn down his music, and watch for pedestrians. Oh boy, this is going to be fun.

Each year that I grow older never seems to phase me. I welcomed the last 21 birthdays with excitement for that next chapter in my life; I can officially drive (17), I can officially drive without a probationary license (18), I can buy cigarettes even though I don’t smoke (19), I am officially no longer a teenager (20), I can drink legally (21!). But when you watch those younger than you grow and hit ages that you remember quite well (they day I took my driving test seems like yesterday. I still remember the outfit I wore to school), it becomes scary. My brother is no longer little; he’s no longer the baby. He’s one year away from adulthood. He drove the car away, and I felt a part of my childhood drive away with him. Where’s that boy who I used to play school with? Where is that kid I taught to swim? I still remember (thanks to countless views of old home movies) the way he used to whine “Katie” when he wanted something. He now debates politics with me, talks about colleges, and comes to me when he has questions about friends and relationships.

I’m very blessed to have the bond I have with my brother – a bond that will hopefully grow even stronger with time. We’ve grown closer as we’ve grown older, and I now think of him as one of my friends. We still bicker like cats and dogs, and I think he secretly wants me to move out as quickly as possible so that he can once again commandeer the downstairs (he also wants a cool place to stay in the city). I picked him up from the airport last night, and we chatted about his trip and his birthday. He was nervous to take the test, and I was nervous for him. But when I woke up this morning, there was the text that shouted “I am now a licensed driver!” The text scared me half out of bed (he actually passed?!), and then a sense of pride washed over me. He did it. That little, slightly annoying, used to be chubby, trumpet player in the school band boy grew up over night….and I never saw it coming.

Happy Birthday Scottie! I love you! xoxo DON’T text and drive!

Healthy Time

I’m getting back on track. I’m saying goodbye to the processed foods/treats that I have been indulging in all summer, and I’m welcoming fruit, veggies, and grilled chicken back into my life. Yesterday, I went into the city for an interview, and I wore the cutest gray/black dress from Banana Republic. I had bought this dress about a month ago, and while it fit yesterday, it was definitely snug… more snug than when I had purchased it. I decided that summer is ending and so must my poor eating habits. I am very active. I run 3-4 days a week and my job requires me to walk the beach all day long, but unhealthy eating can reverse any good fitness activities you complete during the day. Enough is enough. It’s time to get healthy.

I am no stranger to weight problems. Today I am a healthy size/weight, but that wasn’t always the case. As a child, I was overweight from limited activity and junk food overload. I would switch between a Big Mac and a number 2 (two cheeseburger meal) every time I went to McDonalds, and once I was old enough to stay home by myself in the summer at age twelve, I would start my morning by waking up at noon and eating a large bowl of ice cream. By seventh grade, I was wearing size 13 jeans in the junior’s section when most of my peers were wearing 1’s and 3’s. I’m proud to say that today I am the smallest I have ever been. Okay, maybe I was a tad smaller in the May/June timeframe, but three pounds of excess weight hardly counts as a tragedy. My weight problems have caused years of confidence and self-esteem issues, and I try every day to stay healthy and yet not focus on my body image constantly. It’s a battle.

Instead of telling myself that I must look like Jennifer Aniston before Christmas comes, I instead try to focus on goals I have yet to accomplish and making myself healthy. I was so pleased when I became a runner after so many years of claiming I could never be one. Nothing pleases me more than when I finish my 3-4 mile run and think of how I probably could have kept going. I love that I don’t wheeze or hurt when I work out anymore. I love that I actually want to work out. I have days when my body is literally aching for a run, and I throw on my shoes and go. My love/hate relationship with food is similar. I can tell how my body feels based on what I eat. I have more energy, my skin looks better, and I feel more satisfied when I choose grapes over salty chips and apples over ice cream. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes a girl needs ice cream, but I now put two scoops in a coffee mug and call it a day. No more large bowls with fudge and sprinkles.

I’m proud of myself for what I have accomplished. I know I can always do better, and I still have my days where I get upset with myself for my choices – this is definitely something I need to work on. There is no point in hating yourself because you gave into temptation. Yesterday, I had lunch with my dad in the city and inhaled a plate of fries with my sandwich. I was angry that I ate them, and I felt gross walking around the city in the 90 degree heat with greasy food sitting in my stomach (and I was still wearing my tight dress), but I came home, went for a run, and had a salad with cucumbers and apples for dinner. I can’t go back and change what I did in the past, but I can change the future, and I’m going to really focus on me this fall by running a few races and purchasing blueberries and oatmeal after work for tomorrow’s breakfast.

The Job Search: Lessons Learned

Happy 8/9/10. If I hadn’t had to fill out tax form after tax form today, I would have never known it was such a cool day digit-wise. My summer employment is ending in less than two weeks, and new employment will hopefully be starting. The summer flew by! It feels like I barely experienced it, but such is the life of a now actual adult. Work has taken the place of childhood playtime. As I am journeying down this road of job applications, interviews, and e-mails, I am learning a lot of lessons. Some things I have done correctly, and a lot of things I have done wrong, but I am hoping to send wisdom to those who have not yet begun this challenging process.

The one thing I wish I had done more of while at school was networked/stayed in touch with former employers. I had no idea how important references were until I started this search. In my short twenty-one years, I have been employed at a number of different places. Some were big companies and others were small local businesses - and I did a fine job at all of them. When it recently became time to get a reference list together, I was sending out frantic e-mails that started with “I hope you remember me!” Thankfully they did, but that's not the way you want to approach references if you have the choice to do it differently. If you leave a job on good terms, no matter how big or small the job, always keep in touch.

At my first job, I worked as a Page in my local library. My supervisor was an awesome guy who I really connected with. He was young, fun, easy going and had the best middle name I had ever heard of – Igby. When I left my job, he stayed around for a little while and then traveled to another state (Wisconsin possibly?) to pursue a better job. I wish I would have kept his contact information on file and e-mailed him from time to time. I was unable to use him as a reference (because I had no idea where he was or how to contact him), and I feel he really could have said some positive things about me since we worked so well together.

I am beginning to network again through people I have met while working my summer job, work colleagues of my parents, and that friend who has a friend who has a friend at such and such a place. I am keeping a log of e-mail addresses, sending notes out often reminding professionals who I am and what I am looking for, and searching for jobs in companies where I know a current employee. I’ve been told time and time again that it is who I know that will get me that coveted job, so I plan on meeting a lot of people in the next few weeks.

Life is all about learning from past mistakes, and I never realized how much knowledge I would gain in such a short period of time. I’m learning how to write effective e-mails; I’m learning how to write cover letters (so many I can’t keep track anymore); I’m learning how to use my time wisely in an interview; I’m learning how to dress. So many great life lessons are coming out of this job search, and I’m actually enjoying the majority of it. All of the potential possibilities keep me excited for what my future holds: A corner office with a view someday would be nice.