And, I am back from Vancouver, living the life as a consultant here in California. Being a consultant and working from home means many things to many people; as of this very moment, it means that I’m here in a wireless cafe splitting time between doing engineering work, being an editor/blogger for the start-up, and debating whether I want to leave the cafe to take a lunch break, because that would mean losing my table located conveniently next to a power outlet.
But working at a cafe, skipping important meals of my day, is better than my alternative: sitting at home and having my parents invite themselves over since not working in an office means that I’m not really working.
A couple of months ago I gave my notice at Yahoo! because, among other things, I needed a life change-up. Well, a life change-up is what I got: I quit smoking. There’s a very real chance I might be relocating to Canada. I’m cramming Ruby on Rails like a Japanese 3 year old studying for his Kindergarten exams. I have a shiny hipster MacBook. Sure, my personal life might be suffering a bit because of my annoying habit of being obsessed with work stuff, but at the very least I have something productive to obsess over. (As a small tangent, Ariel has gone through this before and talks about some of these issues on her own blog.)
Every once in a while if I let myself, I get these OMGWTF moments, and while I know it comes from a variety of sources – nicotene cravings, the fear of the unknown, stuff like that – this is merely a side effect of what I’ve wanted all along: a change. This is what I’ve asked for. And if things don’t work as expected, I figure it out then. I try to keep reminding myself that every day.
PS: As a side note, I was at the ceremony in Vancouver when they unveiled the countdown clock to the Olympic games and the counter-protest that ensued. For the record: Canadian protesters can’t hold a CANDLE to American protesters. THREE people arrested, because someone screams the word “FUCK” into the microphone? THAT’S IT? Christ almighty, Berkeley protesters would have at least brought Israeli & Palestinian flags and posters of unborn fetuses (Not related to the Olympics? Who Cares?), some television camera-friendly slogans and some red paint to represent the spilled blood of the First Nation. Lame, lame, lame.
“OMGWTF moments” are healthy and help to keep you on track. When I left Hawaii I had those all the damn time.
i feel ya, brotha-man…
Congrats on trying to quit smoking.
Welcome back. The country wasn’t the same without you!
I’d recommend the most laptop friendly cafe in SF to you if you still lived in SF…
“my personal life might be suffering a bit because of my annoying habit of being obsessed with work stuff”
Keep it up long enough and you will realize that being obsessed with work is much easier than having a personal life
i don’t know whats lamer… the protesters… or me being upset because you moved to a mac. =P
first off, congrats on kicking the habit. I know it can be rough, but it’s SOOO worth it.
also, welcome back to CA, even if it’s for a short stay. Drink it all in.
and enjoy the changes amidst the chaos they bring. Challenge is good.
This post is really helpful to read. I quit my job 9 months ago and moved from Japan to the US and haven’t found another job yet. Everyday is an OMGWTF moment. But I’m pushing through and reading stuff like this helps.
And huge congrats on kicking the habit!
Congratulations on quitting smoking! It’s good to compile these life changes, and I bet you’ll come out the other side much better for it.
Took me six months before I didn’t want a ciggie (after smoking a helluva lot of them). Do it like the alcoholics… one day at a time.
Good luck with your new job. update often
I can always count on you to brighten my day.
OMGWTF – if you move to vangroovey, i’ll be utterly jealous.
do it.
Notable Vancouver Protests:
1) when the American GAP (Genocide Awareness Project) comes to UBC with their 8X10 foot posters of dead fetuses vs. dead people in gencocides. The Campus for Choice group gets together to “Bridge the GAP” to provide a choice to not look at the ugly billboards by linking hands and blocking them, wearing bent clotheshangars around their nexts to symbolize what anti-abortion means to them. Hilarity often ensues.
2) April 20 at the Art Gallery… 4:20, massive marijuana smokedown with thousands of people meeting at Robson Square in the middle of downtown to spark up. Usually Mark Emery, leader of the Marijuana Party, shows up to be worshipped by the potheads, but this year he’s under extradition proceedings to the States for selling pot seeds online.
3) Pretty much anything at said Art Gallery…from Falun Gong to aforementioned First Nations dramatics, there’s never a dull moment.
Other: Flash mobs often meet here… pillowfight, zombiewalk anyone?
Hi
Just wanted to say Congrats!!! on quitting. My husband quit a year ago…it was a hard year but so worth it… he still has cravings but takes it a day at a time.
ahh dude i’m glad you write again…i missed you. but seriously the olympics are terrible for Vancouver. 500 low income housing spots have been yanked away from the very needy… it’s been made illegal for homeless people to sit/sleep on our streets…they’re destroying our gorgeous forests… and the development is not at all sustainable to the civic core… So one of the 70 year old women protestors was sentenced to 14 days jail time (she was basically incoherent at the sentencing due to declining health) died in jail ! Another grandmother got 10 months in jail whereas the guy from a prominent molestation (with many many teenage victims) gets house arrest! Is that hard core enough for you that an old lady trying to stick up for her beliefs and save an endangered frog species died in a dirty jail cell…
y!’s loss is rouxbe’s gain, mang. i’m glad i finally got the chance to meet you before you bugged out to the northern wastes.
Hey,
What’s your final impression of Ruby on Rails?
I came across it in a job recently and it was not a good experience…
Daniel