Wide Open Spaces

Today marks my first week of life in Atlanta. It still seems unreal that only a week ago I packed up everything in an ABF trailer and hit the road in my Nissan Altima headed to ATL. Looking back, I don't regret anything…Well at least anything other than the decision to drive by myself for 13 hours. If you have ever driven anywhere from the great state of Texas, then you know that crossing the Texas border is generally half the battle! By the time I reached Beaumont, I was already wishing that I was on a plane. Being in a car by myself for that long gave me lots of time to think. With nothing but wide open spaces ahead of me I had time to think about what I was leaving behind and time to think about all the exciting things that I have to look forward to.

As I drove further and further east, the sites became less and less familiar. I was truly entering a new and different world. I have to admit that I felt a bit sad leaving behind my family, friends and all my favorite places but the excitement ahead of me outweighed all that. I kept picturing my great new job and the opportunity that I've been given to really excel and establish myself as a professional. I truly have a clean slate with no preconceived notions or assumptions about who I am and what I can do. I thought about all the new friends I'd make and hopefully the new guy(s) that I'll be meeting soon. I pictured fabulous shopping sprees at Lenox Mall and late nights partying at Compound and the Velvet Room.

Well…my first week has been a lot less glamorous than I imagined. My days have primarily been consumed with handling all the mundane details of moving like unpacking and paying lots of different people. I did make time to attend For Sisters Only with one of my new friends which turned out to be really great. I've also done some shopping and I have to say that Atlanta has some of the best shopping I've ever seen! This is coming from a serious shopaholic who has traveled all over! In Atlanta, they sell Gucci at DSW and Giuseppes at Marshall's. I am in heaven although my checking account might be in hell….

Next Lifetime

I've been packing all day and I have to say that moving is one time when it doesn't pay to be a Fashionista. I have 50 boxes packed and still have lots of work to do… I own 150 pairs of shoes so packing them all was a burden in itself.

When packing, you frequently have to evaluate the things that you choose to take with you. Some things might be old, outdated, out of style or they could be in good shape but just don't fit your lifestyle anymore. This becomes especially apparent when you have to pay someone to transport these "things" that you have accumulated. Wellllllllllllllllllllllllll *Antoine Dodson voice* let me be the first to tell you that my evaluation of what to take with me is extending far beyond my closet. There are some people and relationships that I am HAPPY to say will not be making the trip to Atlanta with me. You see, everything that I'm taking with me needs to be of value. I'm not gonna pay to transport things that are falling apart and/or no longer useful. That goes for people too… After all, if you know me, you know I hate fakes so all the counterfeits will be left behind. There will be no Goach or Fucci making this trip. You see, real bags stand the test of time. They hold on through wear and tear. They remain the same through thick and thin. They are there when you need them. Unfortunately, counterfeits are the opposite. They look good on the surface to floss a little bit in the club but as soon as you put a little pressure on them, the strap breaks and you are left picking up all your sh*t off the ground. They look the part from a distance but when you get up close you see it's just trash. It's nothing special or remarkable, just more of the same. To quote Jay, "You had a spark when you started but now you're just garbage". Think about it! And honey let me tell you, there are more counterfeit people than bags.

Well no counterfeits here and no counterfeits are coming with me on this journey. So to the inspiration of THIS post, who knows EXACTLY who HE is, BYE! I guess I'll see you next lifetime…but I hope that I don't.

Emotional Rollercoaster

The past couple of weeks have been super crazy! I can't seem to keep up with my schedule of doing a couple blog posts a week. It's getting closer to my move date…. Four days away to be exact. I'm feeling lots of things. Scared, excited, curious, scared, hopeful, happy, scared, anxious, full of anticipation, did I say SCARED?

As the date gets closer and closer I've experienced a roller coaster of emotions. I quit my job and the very next day I had a brutal wake-up call. I've worked pretty consistently since the age of 15 so the idea of actually being without a job (even temporarily) sent me into an unexpected tailspin. I started re-evaluating everything. Should I stay? Should I go? Should I go to Atlanta or pick another city? I've literally re-examined every single aspect of my decision at least 2-3 times. I became unsure about my choice… I started wondering about my new job. Would it come through? Would everything unfold as I planned it? I started doubting my choice for an apartment… Everything was up in the air again.

After taking a few days to get centered, I decided to stand firm on my decision. After all, I had thought it through and analyzed every aspect of it with a clear head so why let a minor emotional breakdown deter me? The fact of the matter is that even if I wanted to go back, I couldn't. In Houston, I'm unemployed with no immediate prospects. In Atlanta, I'm on to the next level of my career.

It seems that this whole journey have been paved with little signs of divine intervention. If you know me, then you know I'm all about "signs". I see them everywhere (even if there aren't any).

As I'm prepping for my going-away party but still full of self-doubt, guess who calls me? My new boss! She finally had my official job offer with salary, start date and an offer letter to be delivered on Tuesday! Well if that's not a sign, then I don't know what is.

Tonight I'm going to The Drake to pop bottles and party the night away with my closest friends and on Tuesday, I'm moving to Atlanta!

You Keep me Hangin’ On

Contrary to what you might believe, when Kim Wilde wrote this song I am convinced she was talking about the job hunting process. She had to be because hanging on and waiting is the name of the game. You apply. You wait. You interview. You wait. You want an offer, you wait. In this economy, we are hanging on for dear life in hopes that a decent job offer and salary is coming our way. I wonder if employers realize how bad this constant waiting game is for applicants. Applying for a job can be time-consuming process. When conducting a focused and professional job search you become a little invested in every company that you apply to. By focused and professional, I mean not simply emailing your basic resume to every position that is posted within a 100-mile radius. I'm talking about actually reading the job descriptions, analyzing them in reference to your experience, and then preparing a tailored resume and cover letter to submit to that company. The process takes time, effort, and skill for which 90% of the time, you won't even be acknowledged.

If you are lucky enough to receive an interview, you should feel proud because you are doing better than a large portion of job applicants. However, that proud feeling is short-lived because that's when the waiting game truly begins. If you are interviewing well then you should be developing a rapport with every manager, director, or HR rep that you meet throughout the screening process. The interview should be an easy, two-sided conversation in which information is exchanged about you, as well as, the company and the job. Make no mistake, by rapport I do not mean over sharing, unprofessionalism, or saying too much. I am a strong advocate of only providing what is asked during the job search and in the workplace. To quote Jay-Z, "our time together is our time together and our time apart is our time apart." An interview is not the time to gush about your kids, family, husband, or whatever. No one in the professional world cares about your family, but I digress.

After speaking with these people for hours at a time, sometimes on multiple occasions, you expect a certain degree of loyalty and professional courtesy. What you don't expect, is to be kept hanging on with no response after the interview. In this case, no news is definitely not good news. I prefer to be informed even if I didn't get the job. That allows me to cross that position off my list and continue tracking my search efforts. What I don't want to do, is be left hanging on…and on….and on…in hopes of one day getting a response. I can handle no. No is not a bad word. There is nothing wrong with a simple, "Thank you for your interest but we have decided to pursue other candidates at this time." Good. At least you know…. And as they say on the BET public service announcements, knowing is beautiful right?

I don’t want it anymore

So the interview process continues… I know it's a blessing to get interviews and call backs in this recession but it is getting a bit taxing with all the traveling back and forth. Let's not forget that I'm a jet-setter that's afraid of flying and I've been having to fly back & forth almost every week. Weird right? I was called in to interview for a project consulting position with the CDC. The interview was less than ideal. On paper, the job sounded great. I aced my phone screen with the recruiter and based on the details that he provided, I decided that the job was worth the effort of me traveling back to Atlanta again to meet with the director in person. I'm not even gonna talk about the fact the my flight was delayed for 1 hour and 40 minutes or the fact that I had to wait in line at Hertz for 2 hours to get a rental, or the fact that I didn't arrive at my hotel until 2 a.m. the day of my interview… No, there will be another post for that so back to the issue at hand.

I arrived at the office which was less impressive than I expected… I told myself, no biggie. I won't be working at the office so it doesn't matter anyway. I proceeded to meet with the interviewer whose way too comfortable demeanor made me uncomfortable. He was practically reclined in his desk chair with his legs crossed and nearly propped up on the desk. He proceeds to tell me all of the ugly details about the job; All of the critical things which the recruiter should have mentioned, but conveniently left out. The pay was horrible and the work environment seemed like it would be extremely chaotic and stressful. I went through the motions anyway and I can tell that the interviewer was impressed however I knew that job would not be a long term fit for me. Even after knowing this, I still continued pursuing the job in my mind, despite the fact that I knew I wouldn't last six months at best. After reflecting over the job for the rest of my stay, I decided that I don't want it anymore. I was planning to email the recruiter on Monday to remove myself from the running since I was one of the top candidates however, imagine my surprise when I opened my email box and they told me that I was not selected and the project had been shelved due to funding issues. Oh really? Seriously?! For some reason, this really pissed me off. They had me come in for the position when they knew that funding and other issues were possibly not in place for me to take the job even if I wanted it. Unprofessional. As I sat in the airport waiting for my flight (after another delay) I began to ponder why do we get upset over the loss of things that we never really wanted in the first place? We've all been there. It can be a job, a house, a relationship…whatever. Maybe you felt drab & lackluster about the whole thing from the jump but when it ends we get mad. Shouldn't we be relieved since it was clearly not a fit for either party? Is it the loss of job/relationship that bothers us or is it really ego or hating to lose in general?

Personally, I can say that I have started to recognize the mediocrity in life and I am not afraid to say I don't want it anymore. I'm not setting myself up for failure by accepting less than what works for me whether it be a job, relationship, or anything else. So if that means I have to be single and jobless for a little while longer then so be it. When it happens, it will be worth it.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Over the weekend I made my first of many relocation prep trips to Atlanta to check things out. I was lucky enough to line up two interviews on the same day in hopes of minimizing my airfare costs. Unfortunately, because the interviews were scheduled for less than 10 days out I had to make some hard decisions about getting to Atlanta.

I couldn’t hop my normal Continental or Air Tran non-stop flight because the price was outrageous. I am a notorious budget traveler so paying $550 for a flight that normally costs $150 was definitely out of the question. After many hours of flight searches and research I found a flight on American Airlines from Austin to Birmingham for $232. I had a flight credit with American for $300 so that would work out perfectly…or would it?

I decided to drive from Houston to Austin, fly from Austin to Birmingham (with a layover in DFW) and then drive from Birmingham to Atlanta. I figured it would be “fun”… Life is all about the journey right? Let me tell you, plans made on paper do not always translate well in application. American Airlines was late and I didn’t arrive to my hotel until 2 a.m. the morning of my interview! Ironically, I love Atlanta so much that even after all the drama I was just happy to be there.

The interviews both went well but I am 100% more interested in one company than the other one. Some people questioned the logic of paying to fly to a company just for an interview but I have a sense about these things. From the moment I received the call, I knew the job was for me and I still feel that way. Even after being completely exhausted the entire trip, I can feel things lining up on my behalf. I found a place, met some potential friends and even found time to check out a local sushi bar. The job opportunity that I’m up for is amazing & I’m looking forward to doing it all again when I return for my 3rd and final interview in two weeks. Wish me luck!

Why Won't You Let Me be Great? (c) Kanye West

Sooooo this is my blog. The place where I will track my thoughts, experiences, and discoveries as I relocate from Houston to Atlanta. The adventures of a transplant! Experience life with me as I move to another state for the first time in my life. I hope that this blog will be a lot of things… funny, insightful, thought-provoking, fuckery-filled and most of all entertaining. So follow me on this journey from the Dirty South to the Dirty Southeast.

Will I sink or swim? Be fab or drab? Live the high life or end up a pauper? Become a Miranda, Samantha, Carrie, Charlotte or end up a Sour Apple Bitter Bitch?

I’ve reached the 30-day mark for my move and set an official date of Sunday, September 5. That’s the day that I will pack up my entire 28 years of life, cram it in a U-Haul, and hit the road to ATL. Yes, Atlanta: the place of dreams, the young urban promised land, the new Black Hollywood, the other side of the mountain-top.

My decision to leave Houston has been about 3 years in the making. Ever since I started to travel extensively throughout the country, I began to have a strong feeling that I was not meant to spend my whole life in Houston. Yeah, I have a stable job. Yeah, I have good friends. Yeah, I have an OK life… But I’m from the millennium generation. The ‘I wanted it yesterday’ generation. The 'make it happen' generation. OK isn’t good enough for me. An “alright” life just won’t do… I was created to have the fab life, the great life, to have it all. God said it. Joel said it. I choose to believe them.

As I continue to edge closer to 30, I started to seriously think about the 5, 10, and 15 year plans I created for my life. I’m all about the planning, but you’ll figure that out soon enough. I guess you could call it my personal quarter-life crisis . I began to become increasingly disillusioned with Houston & my ability to reach my goals from this… ‘place’. I could spend my whole life asking Houston, “Why won’t you let me be great?”, or I could change the game and do something about it.

The day that I decided to move I was on vacation in NYC walking alone down Park Avenue. This probably sounds cliché as hell but it’s true. It was a beautiful day & I was headed downtown from the museum back to my hotel. In that second, experiencing the scenery, hustle and bustle, and beauty of that particular day, I decided that I was leaving Houston immediately. There was just something about the picture-perfect quality of that moment that gave me the inspiration I needed. If you’re ever in NYC, I encourage you to take that walk. It’s inspiring!