2010 - year in review

I am not making any promises that this is a new trend to start regularly blogging in 2011, but today I'm starting somewhere! This post is to update about my 2010. A lot happened in the last year (yes, it's been a year since I have posted here). While 2010, may not be my "next exit" - it is the exit you are taking to learn about my year last year! Where to start?! I guess the beginning.

2010 brought me some unrest professionally. I had been at Target for almost 5 years and was not happy with the directions the company was taking. This has happened before, but this time I started to feel the changes myself. So, I started looking for a new job. A huge step for me - being as I was very comfortable in my role at Target. I could (and still can) do that job with my eyes closed - it was a nice feeling. So the hunt began, but what to look for? Stay in retail because I'm good at it, or try to venture into the medical field because that is my ultimate goal. I decide to just do something; enter, Starbucks.

The interview process was annoyingly long. I filled out an online assessment which was SUPER long and unnecessary. Then had several interviews spanned out over 3 months almost. They finally give me an offer - less $ than Target, but less hours too. I take it! My last day at Target was at the end of April. My first day at Starbucks was May 10, 2010.

So, in between, Chris and I go to Florida for a week. It was really nice to get away somewhere warm. The vaca itself was pretty uneventful - Chris got a lobster sun burn on the first day, which made him sick for the rest of the week almost! Always an adventure w/ him. Lesson of the trip: wear sunscreen when your girlfriend tells you to! Lesson learned!

Starbucks: oh boy! I had a great trainer, who wasn't good at training! By that I mean, she was a great person, great at her job, great at training, just not at that time. She was too busy to sneeze, never mind train a new manager. I learned at lot, but not everything I needed to run my own store. My own store was suppose to happen after the 4th of July. That was a whole other thing. They didn't know where to place me; I'm the red-headed step child of new managers! In July, I get placed in the Canton, MA store. The manager there goes on maternity leave and I cover the store while she is out. Then I get my own permanent store. I worked with some interesting characters and learned at lot. I also learned that less pay equaled more hours! YIKES! Not what I signed up for. I also learned that other managers at Starbucks are not the 'family' they advertise to be, they ended up being very non-supportive. There were major staffing issues, I had coverage issues, and because of that I was coverage more than being a manager. Starbucks has this way of not giving their managers ample time to be managers and just be grossly overpaid baristas.

So, after working 11 days straight (@4:45am) w/ no support and looking like no time off - they tell me where my store is going to be .  .  . CHESTNUT HILL. Really? The regional manager came to check on me (make sure I wasn't about to crack - which I was, but I lied) and I explain that I am going to school M-Th & every other Saturday, so being close to home in Norwood isn't important, being close to school in Brockton is. She says ok that they will consider that. Then they place me in Chestnut Hill - I'd NEVER make it to school on time. That was the straw that broke it for me and I gave my notice. I was working too hard, for too little pay, no support, w/ inadequate training, then a long commute - no thanks! October 15, 2010 was my last day.

Rewind a bit - we're missing some things - school! I was going to take the summer of 2010 off, but decided that was the non-dedicated way of going about things. I needed to take Human Growth in order to get into Nursing school (a 100 level class), but it has a pre-req of Psych (another 100 level class). Well, I took psych at RWU, but because the description didn't live up to MCC's standards I had to retake psych. My summer was full. I took Psych 101 the first half, then Human Growth the second half (both A's)! Then I have the bright idea of taking an EMT class so that I can get into the medical field. So, while I take one of the hardest classes I've ever taken (Microbiology) I also add EMT - while in a new job. Oh boy. Now look at how much I was working at Starbucks, while in class every night until 10pm. Understand a little better now?!

I feel like I'm forgetting something from the summer of 2010 - oh that's right - I moved! Talk about some stress on myself during this time. I decided to move in w/ Chris in July/August. My furry babies and I leave our little home in Easton and head on over to his condo in Norwood. Needless to say, it was a busy few months.

After I left Starbucks, I didn't work. Chris and I decided it was something I could do for a little while and focus on my classes. I passed my EMT class w/ flying colors and got a B+ in Micro - yeah me!!! That took me to the end of November/beginning of December. Then came Christmas and 3 months of not working. Let me tell you, I reached some dark places I never thought possible. I stayed inside and got chub! haha. I really think having the supportive partner that I have really helped me get through the end of 2010/beginning of 2011.

Here's 2011 - the year I turn 30. There's lot to come from me this year, but know that things are starting off right. I took my EMT Certification (waiting for the state to send the results in the mail - F O R E V E R), but I think I did well. I took a PT job for the last 2 weeks just to have a paycheck and on Monday 2/7, I start my job at Westwood Lodge. It's a mental health facility (right near where I live) and I will be a Mental Health Tech there. LOOK I'M IN THE FIELD!! The pay is what I made in HS, but being in the medical field is so worth the bad pay. I'm excited for all that entails.

I'm taking Statistics now and only have 1 class left after this to be able to apply to the accelerated Bachelor programs! I applied to MCC & Bay State College for the fall - they are both Associate programs - but if I get in, I can then transfer into a accelerated Bachelors program!

That's 2010 and a preview for 2011. It was a long post - but had to be w/ the busy year 2010 was for me! Looking forward to my year of 30 and will try to take you all along for the ride!