Exciting news!

I was blessed to wake up to a beautiful sunny day today and a job to go to! I know so many people have to search for jobs for several months before finding one and I just had this opportunity kind of stumble upon me. 

I love B&B because of the people and the various career tracks you could take. I always tell myself, "Alyssa, if you don't like something then change it". In general I'm getting into the groove of things and enjoying myself more and more. If you're just entering the workplace give yourself a month to get adjusted. A point will come where you start enjoying it --hopefully. But, I was always so busy in college and working on various projects and I miss that. So! I went to our CRO and asked if I could do some work on the internship program! I am going to conduct exit interviews with the interns so that I can find ways to improve the program and hopefully increase our intern to hire ratio. I am SO EXCITED!!! Last fall I was thinking I wanted to work in higher ed but then decided it was too political and I didn't want to get a masters right away. So this opportunity could grow into something more within the company and I could fulfill my goal of working with college students and a company! Plus, I feel like this will help the company get more bang for it's buck and potentially get more interested candidates from the get-go. The past few years they hired 1 out of 4 or 5 interns. This year they hired 2 out of 6 so I think I can bring that up for next year. 

My strengths from StrenghtsFinder 2.0 are Strategic, Maximizer, Adaptability, Input and Achiever. So I think this opportunity allows me to utilize all of my strengths and build them up. 

Ahhhh! I'm just so ready and grateful that they are letting me pursue this. 

Anyways, just wanted to share. My boss is out on vacation so I am awaiting a task that my coworker is setting up for me.

Have a wonderful day! Thanks for reading! 

Much love,

Alyssa

P.S! I am up to 280 views from 72 yesterday, which completely floors me! Thanks for your overwhelming support. If you have a blog I'd love to read it! I love seeing what is going in people's lives and Facebook doesn't do the best job of allowing us to connect on a deeper level.

I promise I'm happy!

Within posting about this blog on Facebook my views went from 72 total to 160 in an hour or so. 

I'm so glad to see so many people want to read about what's going on! But I realize that I seem depressed or something by some of my past posts. So I'm so sorry if I seem like a Debbie Downer! That's never been my style. Writing helps you reveal your inner most feelings and that is what I've been doing through this blog. Once your in college you have this ideal image of a career and it seems glamorous to be on your own, and it is! But it has been a bit of a reality check since I'm spoiled and didn't have this much financial stuff on my plate in college. 

My aunt just called me to check in because she got the impression I wasn't happy after checking out some posts. This week has been incredible and I couldn't be happier right now! The transition period is over and I will stop being whiny and dramatic... for now anyways! 

I also have another blog where I just post thoughts on various things, and life advice. I would like to be Oprah meets Ellen one day. Louisiana needs to be represented in a little bit better light on TV ... I'm tired of being asked if I eat squirrel brains and wrestle alligators.  If you'd like to check it out you can find it here:  http://alyssaslifeideology.blogspot.com/

I am staying with a friend tomorrow night because she is bringing me to the airport Friday morning! I have a wedding to attend this weekend with my family and I am super stoked! I haven't seen the groom in 4 years so I am so glad to be reunited and to be apart of this joyous occasion. 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week! Talk to you soon.

Much love,

Alyssa

Bills, Bills, Bills the real life version of Destiny's Child

I just paid my car insurance and started looking at my payments calendar ..which lead to me humming "Bills, Bills, Bills" by Destiny's Child. So I decided to write my own version of their song. Enjoy:

Real Life Bills: 
At first it seemed real cool
Being on my own is something that's never been
But now it's getting uncomfortable
Not seeing people around no more
I'm slowly having to pay for everything
I'm working for my money to start handing
it to other things, like paying my for my car
Drive it all week only to keep filling up the tank
Now I have another bill to the city
Lucky me I get a check this week

You trifilin', not good for much type of cubicle job
Silly me, why haven't I followed my passion? 
Times went from fun to rough
I wish my mama could help me out
Instead I'm learning what it's like to be an adult
I didn't know what growing up was all about

Can I pay my own bills? 
Would you like to pay my bills? 
Find me a rewarding job 
so I don't mind working to pay my bills? 
If you helped me I could build a career
If you can't, don't worry we won't be through

You wanna start paying bills? 
Being on your own to pay more than the telephone bills? 
Just enjoy college and youth while you can

Destiny's Child Version: 

At first we started out real cool

Taking me places I ain't never been

But now, you're getting comfortable

Ain't doing those things you did no more

You're slowly making me pay for things

Your money should be handling

And now you ask to use my car (car)

Drive it all day and don't fill up the tank

And you have the audacity

To even come and step to me

Ask to hold some money from me

Until you get your check next week

[Kelly:]

You triflin', good for nothing type of brother

Silly me, why haven't I found another?

A baller, when times get hard

I need someone to help me out

Instead of a scrub like you

Who don't know what a man's about

[Chrous:]

Can you pay my bills?

Can you pay my telephone bills? 

Do you pay my automo' bills?

If you did then maybe we could chill

I don't think you do

So, you and me are through

Can you pay my bills?

Can you pay my telephone bills?

Do you pay my automo' bills?

If you did then maybe we could chill

I don't think you do

So, you and me are through

The end!
Even though it is a tough adjustment, I cannot help but be grateful. Seeing all of your bills is overwhelming but it teaches you responsibility and gives you appreciation for everything you have. I have all of my needs met to the fullest and have friends nearby or just a phone call away (since I pay my bills!).

Have a fantastic day!

Much love,
Alyssa

A wonderful weekend

Part of the reason I write this blog is for me. Because I love to write and share with people. Reflecting on the day and remembering my dreams are very important to me. But the main reason I write this blog is because people who are college seniors or recent graduates often do not know what the 8-5, working life feels like. I've had a job since I was 16 years old (I actually did projects for a newspaper during the summer starting at 13 years old) so I know what it is like to work.. all the joys and frustrations that come with it. But being totally on your own and paying your bills is a totally different story. It is important to accurately show students what the daily grind is actually like... and to help them feel they are not alone. Sadly life skills - like signing a lease, picking your benefits, etc.- aren't properly taught in school. I was fortunate enough to have parents help me work through all of that the past 2 months but some people are totally on their own.

I say all of this to lead up to the wonderful weekend I have just had! I went to visit a friend (Mary) and mentor in the beautiful, sunny town of St. Pete. As I posted before, I just felt lonely the past few weeks even though I have some friends close. There are just some people you connect with on a different level who help you understand and achieve your most far-fetched dreams. Mary is one of those people. We talked about our dream jobs and all of our ideas to better the world. We talked about life and where we are. It all came full circle. She has been feeling the same as me for a year since she graduated. It is a tough transition out of your college bubble. Each day your schedule varies, you can walk over to your friends dorm everyday, you have org meetings that allow you follow your passions and make a difference or grow personally.. You usually have a roommate (either in the good way, or the "I'm living in a soap opera" way). so you're never fully alone... and if you are alone you can always find someone to do something. It is literally like each day is an adventure no matter how much stuff you have to do or how stressed you are.

Then you move off on your own ... some of you may have roommates still but I am in a one room apartment that is just for me. Mary lives with her fiance (they've been together since freshman year of college and are getting married in almost a month!) but it is still difficult because she doesn't have her set of close friends. It's just strange when you want to go off and do something.....but have to think about who to go with or what to do because it's a new setting. But just knowing that she has and was experiencing the same things I have been dealing with for the past 3 weeks was so comforting. I hate to think of her feeling out of place and having to adjust, but that is just part of life. She wants to work for a non-profit and realized that by living this she will be able to relate to 90% of people because most people are in our positions... where you just have a job. You aren't doing what you are truly passionate about and it gets discouraging to actually follow your heart when you get turned down for jobs, or when there aren't even any openings... when your dream doesn't pay much money and you have all of these bills to pay and loans to pay back. It's such a frustrating place to be! But luckily we can find comfort, persevere and keep dreaming because we have each other. Because there is strength in unity. Because our dreams matter and they are achievable.

It was just a fantastic weekend.. There were lots of laughs, a few tears and genuine talks. I hope that you can find someone that you can talk to about anything--no matter how ridiculous it may be--and they will still support you and help you to the best of their ability to make it a reality. Never feel stuck... every experience we have allows us to gain new perspectives and shape ourselves into the person we want to be. Don't think about how grass is greener on the other side, because often times it is just as prickly and rough as over here. Keep striving toward your goals, no matter how impossible they seem and do little things that help reignite your passion for them.

I am going to start doing more volunteer work in the community so that I don't forget my desire to help people and solve their needs.

I wish you a wonderful week and thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading.

All the best,
Alyssa

LUNCH BREAK!

Hump DAYYYYY!

Happy hump day and lunch break everyone.

Most people think 5:00 is the best time of day when you're finished with work and able to go home (and I would agree)... but I particularly like lunch. It gives me something to look forward to, allows me to decompress then push through the rest of the day. Plus at this point I know what the day has in store for me, so I can crank through the last 4 hours quickly.

I am really busy today and it's great! I love having stuff to do.. makes 5:00 get here that much sooner.

Friday after work I am going a little road trip to visit a friend for the weekend... so I cannot wait for these next 2 days to be over! If I don't have anything to do I am bored, the day goes by slower, and I anticipate what fun things are coming up... then that's all I can think about! Is it Friday yet?!
But luckily that is not happening today. I think I am getting the hang of things so the boss lady is trusting me with  more work.

I sent an RFP all by myself today! It was an amazing feeling. After 2 1/2 weeks I feel useful and not like I'm just doing petty/busy work. I am glad that I can help companies get better rates for their insurance and ensure they are getting the best coverage. I like helping people.. that's what I want to do with my life- help people in some capacity. Until I was about 17 years old I could tell you what I wanted to be when I grew up... now I just don't even know. There are many, many things I want to do but there is no set job title I want. It's interesting how your career goals change over your lifetime (or don't change. Some people know exactly what they want to do and do it! I think that's really cool). I'm an ever changing person so who knows where I'll end up. But I'm excited for the journey! No point focusing on the end destination because we have only just begun the adventure.

I hope you're having a lovely day! If you work for an employer (or are your own employer) where you set your own type of hours and just have to get your work done each day then I am envious of you. I do not like this 8 - 5 thing. I'm ready to only be in the office a few hours of the day because I am out at meetings and interacting with people. But it'll come! You have to work towards your dream job and create it along the way.

Enjoy the rest of your day. Talk to you soon

Daydreaming of the possibilities,
Alyssa

Lonely..

Today I realize how nice it was to live in the apartments at school. I was absolutely tired of my messy apartment and was convinced that living in my own place would be paradise... There are definitely perks! I love how clean it is, I can select the decor, there's real furniture instead of that play stuff colleges give you, I have amenities! I have a lovely little pond with a fountain right outside of my apartment. Went for a jog today and it was nice to listen to the falling water and have the scenery. While also feeling secure since I am in a small community with little traffic.

But as I sit here in the later hours of the day I am just craving human interaction. I sit in my cubicle every day from 8 - 5 with very little to stimulate my brain and no conversation. Then, I get home to an empty apartment with no one around to invite over. I thought my friends who are close would always be over, but after this first week totally on my own I am mistaken... because we all have things going on in our lives and it is a little bit of a drive.

My argument to my mom about staying in this area was that I wanted my own place and to be around my friends... but it seems her argument was more valid. I may have a job I really really enjoy and could interact with my family if I would have gone to NC.

I know it may seem dramatic since it has only been 2 weeks... but I have this innate desire to create and do something worthwhile. I want to learn and grow... yet I'm already stagnant. I hope that things progress and that this stagnation ends...

I don't know how to go out and make new friends without being put into the same organization, class, or group project...but I'm going to try. Definitely not replacing my old friends, just finding more so that I won't ever have this horrible feeling of being alone.

Even though I have 2 beautiful people in my life that I talk on the phone to everyday and share a deep connection with ... I need in person interaction. I think knowing that they are out there and I cannot drive over to their house to chat in person makes it a bit harder.

But I'll continue to be productive and work through it! It's part of growing up, and that is what this chapter of my life is all about. I am reading a couple of books, have a list of movies to watch, blogs to read, I am going to buy a cookbook (because my random cooking is fun, but I want some direction).

Tomorrow is the weekend! (TGIF has a totally new meaning to me now). And lucky for me, I have plans all weekend! Dinner at my best friends family's house tomorrow, Springs Saturday, and a cookout on Sunday. So here's to always looking on the bright side.

Thank you for reading and bearing with me! This helps me to feel that there is more out there.. and that maybe, just maybe, there is someone else out there looking for a little friendship and understanding in this journey of life.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Dreaming about the future,
Alyssa

Senior year bucket list?

Sooo I just looked back on my post about "Last Day of Undergrad".

It says "tomorrow I am going to post my senior year bucket list and keep you updated on my progress". Wellll that didn't happen. But don't feel left out because I didn't make one at all.

Boy, my follow through could really improve. I have a lot to learn.

Until next time,
Alyssa

Working 8 - 5- what a way to make a living.

Wooooo. This is my 8th day on the job. So far so-so, but definitely not what I expected. Which you would think I knew what I was going to be doing since I interned here for 4 weeks. But stuffing envelopes made what I'm now doing look exciting.

We get this idea in our head that we are going to go out and be successful immediately because we have spent all this time studying, preparing for the workplace... well that is not the case. Just like everything in life, you must work your way up. What an optimist I was to think I was going to start this job that I just loved. I thought I would see this set career path and work towards it. Work ethic is something I value and I do work hard, but I thought it would feel more fulfilling... Sitting at a computer typing stuff into spreadsheets and looking at which insurance plans doctors accept may sound fulfilling to you.... but it certainly isn't to me.

I'm getting scared that I will get used to the paycheck, and may get complacent with this type of job. This is not something I want to get comfortable doing because I was meant to accomplish much bigger things. Not that what I'm doing is insignificant.... it's just not for me. I want something fun and exciting-- I want to interact with people. Not sit in a cubicle for 8-9 hours wishing it was 5 p.m. on a Friday. Never in my life would I have believed you if you told me I would be counting the hours until I was off of work.
But, I guess that's what happens when you take the easy way out. I settled because I knew I would be comfortable and wouldn't have to go through interviews. Plus it would give me time to figure out what I really want to do. That's the problem with jumping into college and with college curriculum, it doesn't help you figure out where you want to work or what you want to be doing. It just shows you some of the things you could do and puts credentials behind your name to help you get that mundane, not fulfilling job.

It may not sound like it...but I love the company I work for. It is just so not my personality... I want to solve problems, interact with people, help people. This is just looking at plans and inputting information into a computer right now. But the reason I love this company is because they empower you and allow you to determine the best career path for you. There are lots of opportunity for growth and change.

I don't know... I just want to do something that is making a difference in society. You know what I mean?
I believe in myself and know that I could make my dreams come true... I just don't know where to start.

I really want to have a talk show with my friend Nicole. We could revolutionize TV. It would be epic. You think I write good blogs (or maybe you don't?), wait til you see what I'll be like as a talk show host (hopefully better by voice than words if you don't like these posts). There are so many things we should be focusing on as a society but they come third, forth, or honorable mention to all of these things that don't matter. 24 hour news was a ridiculous idea.. it takes away the importance of things that need emphasis.

See my mind is all over the place because it's being suppressed. I don't even know what to do with myself. I want to cook, clean, write, read, watch TV, craft, relax and listen to music. Just too many things that won't fit in between 5:30 and 11 p.m.

For those of you that have worked 8-5 for 40 years in jobs that you don't truly enjoy, I don't know how you do it. I'm not moving on (just yet), but I know I cannot do this for more than 2 years. I have to be able to work various hours and be with people. That's the main thing... I miss people. I'm starting to get lonely. Last year, I interacted with people each and every day, almost all day! Now I say a few things at work about work, and come home to any empty apartment.

Which is probably why I am writing to you...cyber world.

I have to find something productive to do... so until next time.

An unsatisfied/adjusting college student,
Restless Lyss