Happy(?) 2 Years!

"Today is life - the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby. Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Live today with gusto." - Dale Carnegie

A friend recently posted this on Facebook - If you were unemployed for 2 years and have a decent money account with no commitments (children and single), what would you be doing those years. Glad to know I’m not the only one going through this! This is how I have been making the most of my days and how I spent the last two years:

Traveling

Oct. 2008 - Vegas

Two years ago I finished my last class towards a MBA and a few days later was my last day at the job I've been at for almost seven years. The next day I went to Vegas to celebrate. I also had a job interview and was hired on the spot. Training started a few days later but my flight home was the next day. Besides, I was not prepared to make that move yet.

One of my only pictures from this trip because my camera decided to die on me.

Dec. 2008 - LA

I had friends getting married in the LA area and found a pretty good last minute deal so off to California I went.

Sitting by a pool for a spa day in Dec! No complaints from me!

Jan. 2009 - Costa Rica

My parents have fallen in love with Costa Rica and decided to buy some property. My sister and I were lucky enough to join my dad to check out the land they were buying.

The house on the property

June 2009 - SF

Another friend was getting married, this time in San Jose. Got to spend a few days hitting up all the tourist spots in San Francisco with my family before the wedding.

Everywhere you look...

June 2009 - Costa Rica

Yes, I was able to Costa Rica twice! This second time was for a mission trip. Had a medical and dental clinic, as well as a kid's crafts area, where I was most of the week. Thought I would remember at least some of my Spanish... that didn't happen!

Kid's craft area

Sept. 2009 - Philippines

My sister had a summer internship in the Philippines, so I went to "pick" her up. Stayed for three weeks and did so much! I wasn't ready to leave yet, and even considered looking for a job here.

The chocolate hills in Bohol

Mar. 2010 - Baltimore

The first adventures of 2010 began visiting friends who live near Baltimore. Since we've been there a few times, our friends take us to new places to explore.

Ellicott City, MD

Apr. 2010 - Columbus

My friends were attending a seminar in Columbus and invited me to go since I still wasn't working. I had never been, so I went along for the ride and got to explore the city.

Short North, Art District

July 2010 - NY

I usually try to travel around my birthday so I can celebrate in another city. This year I was fortunate enough to find a cheap last minute flight. Since this was my first time I tried to hit up the tourist spots.

Rockefeller Center

Oct. 2010 - Aruba

My cousin decided to have a destination wedding. My mom sent me to represent our family!

Baby Beach

And in between a number of long weekends or day trips around the Midwest -Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Missouri.

Developing Hobbies:

Baking

I've always been more of a baker than a cook. I find it somewhat therapeutic frosting a cupcake. I'm not creative enough to make my own recipes but I am excellent at following directions!

Pumpkin Gooey Cupcakes

Photography

I've also always loved taking pictures. Last year I got my first DSLR. Still trying to figure it out, and hoping to take a class very soon.

Making extra cash:

Babysitting

I think it's a huge compliment when parents’ trust me with their kids. It's not easy to find someone you can trust to care for your kids, so I think it's great when I get asked to babysit, and I don’t mind it at all. It's also great to be able to "borrow" these kids but at the end of the day it’s nice when they go home to their parents!

It’s actually been suggested to me to open a daycare… We shall see…

Volunteering:

Mission trip - As mentioned earlier, I was able to go on a mission trip to Costa Rica.

Got to play and color with the kids all week!

Typhoon Ondoy - When I was in the Philippines, a typhoon hit the main island pretty badly. We were on another island at the time and missed the storm. We took one day and visited Marakina, one of the hardest hit cities, to pass out some relief goods.

Marakina

Ignite Fest - I have always loved going to concerts. If I can volunteer and spend a whole two days at a concert, I am there.

Ignite Fest 2010

It may not seem like much, you may think I'm not spending enough time looking for a job. I figure it's only about 100 days out of 730 days. After two years there is only so much you can do, and you start to find other ways to keep entertained and fill your days. Besides, it's these little things that keep me going, helps the time to go by, and helps me to stay positive. I will continue to look for a job, but I’m not going to sit around! I’m going to make the most of this time I am given and live my life with gusto!

If you had no job for two years and had enough money to stay afloat, what would you do?

More musings on time

"The follies which a man regrets most in his life are those which he didn't commit when he had the opportunity." - Helen Rowland

Wow, time does really fly by when you're having fun! Another month is almost done. But for me it's just not another month or another day, but today is my two years of being unemployed! In my last post I asked, what am I doing with the time I'm given? Here is my attempt to answer that...

This job search can be frustrating at times, but I have learned to take each day one day at a time because tomorrow is never really guaranteed to anyone. I wholeheartedly believe that the right job will come along. All I can do is keep applying, networking, interviewing, and applying some more. But in the mean time I will enjoy the time I am given and try not to waste the days away. I will make the most of every opportunity given to me and live my life with no regrets.

Here is what I did in the past six weeks:

 

In mid-September I was lucky enough to have two friends visit, one from the Philippines and one from Honduras. My friend from Honduras has never been this far north so it was fun to show her all of Chicago. My other friend from the Philippines has been here numerous times but it was still fun to find things she hasn't done yet.

So tour guide, I was for two weeks. We started off wandering the city of Chicago. It's been years since I've been up the Sears (will always be Sears) Tower, and was finally able to see and go on the ledge that is 103 stories up. I know I'm a little bit biased, but the views from up there on a clear day are just stunning!

View of Lake Michigan from the 103rd floor

We walked towards Buckingham Fountain and I finally found the eye!

The Eye on State St.

Went up along the lake shore to Millennium Park, then to State St., and finally the obligatory deep dish pizza at Giordano's.

The Bean in Millennium Park

Went to Oak Brook and ended up meeting a Victoria Secret model.

Erin Heatherton

Got free tickets to Drury Lane and watched the musical Hot Mikado. 

Watched Easy A on a Thursday afternoon and got the whole theater to ourselves! 

Introduced them to premade cookie dough. Who knew that was an American thing? Are we really that lazy here? 

Won tickets to the Cubs vs. Cards game!

Wrigley Field

Did the all American fall ritual of apple picking, hay rides, pumpkin farms, apple cider and apple doughnuts.

Golden Delicious at Kuiper's Family Farm

Went to Naperville for Kernel Fabyan's popcorn (I find better than Garrett's) and Joy Yee's bubble tea. 

After all that, I had a few days to pack and I was off to Aruba for nine days my cousin's wedding!

Sunset at Palm Beach

When I got back, I had a few days to plan a surprise party for my parents' birthday and make a diaper cake for a baby shower, which I'm pretty good at making now!

So really work just does not fit into my schedule right now! Just kidding! Had I been working, I wouldn't have the time to do all this. But trust me, I would much rather be working, I know it's crazy, but I miss structure and the pressures and challenges of a job.

If you were given the opportunity, what would you do with your free time?

It happens in a blink

"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back." - Harvey MacKay

Wow, where did September go? And better question, Why am I awake at 4:30 AM?! So this (very) early morning Time is on my mind. Having too much time or lack of it. Where does the time go? I've become an expert at pretending I'm busy. I honestly don't know what I do all day. What am I doing with the time I'm given?

I think I have answers but I'll get to it when I'm fully awake and functioning. To hold you over, I'm leaving you with this song that right now I can't get out of my head. What do you think of it?

Blink by Revive

Teach me to number my days

And count every moment before it slips away

Taking all the colors before they fade to gray

I don't want to miss even just a second more of this

It happens in a blink

It happens in a flash

It happens in the time it takes to look back

I try to hold on tight, but there's no stopping time

What is it I've done with my life

It happens in a blink (2x)

When it's all said and done

No on remembers how far we have run

The only thing that matters is how we have loved

I don't want to miss even just a second more of this

It happens in a blink

It happens in a flash

It happens in the time it takes to look back

I try to hold on tight, but there's no stopping time

What is it I've done with my life

It happens in a blink (x4)

Slow down, slow down

Before today becomes our yesterday

Slow down, slow down

Before you turn around and it's too late

It happens in a blink

It happens in a flash

It happens in the time it takes to look back

I try to hold on tight, but there's no stopping time

What is it I've done with my life

It happens in a blink (x4)