Hello everyone, as the year 2018 comes to an end, I have decided to jump on the blogging train. I’ve read in multiple self-improvement books that are writing a journal is very good for mental health as well as introspection. But why release it to the public? Well, that’s just a way to keep me accountable. A couple of years ago I was going a pretty rigorous running regimen, and I would post my route after every run. This kept me on “track” (HA). This is the same idea here. I may even start my running regimen again and post it on my site rather than on social media. I got to tackle this in baby steps, though. I wanted to start my blog with a look back at my 2018…
A New Relationship & Part-time New Yorker
One of the first weekend trips of 2018 was quite eventful. My good buddies Dan and Anthony booked an Airbnb in Brooklyn just for the hell of it. We spent most of our time checking out the local watering holes and eating good food. We also met up with Dan’s brother (stays in New York for law school) and his law school friends.
That night we went bar hopping. We pre-gamed at the Airbnb and headed to a cool spot called Brooklyn Bowl where a live show was going on. This venue was quite loud, so we did not get to converse with Dimitri and his friends as much we wanted. When the performance was over, we headed on over to a hole in the wall called The Craic. It had a pool table and seemed pretty cozy place. The stars happen to align that night and one of his friends, Rebecca sat right next to me for a good portion of the night, but I was too busy talking about Bitcoin to notice her at first. Someone mentioned that she was from Texas, so I proceeded to tell her a crazy story that happened to me a few years before. After many drinks, I had enough courage to ask Rebecca for her number.
“I love tequila”
A few weeks later we started dating, and before I knew it, I was heading back to NY more and more. To make a long story short, her and her little dog Penny are a huge part of my life to this day.
I am looking forward to what adventures the next year has in store for us. Stay tuned!
A New Job & A New Whip
Not only did I land myself a girlfriend this year I also landed myself a new job. I had been working at Zero Gravity Marketing in Madison for the past couple of years as a low-level web developer. I really enjoyed my time as well as my fellow colleagues there, but I was starting to feel like things were getting stale. Something needed to change for me career-wise.
One of my former managers and colleagues, Garth, contacted me at the beginning of the year letting me know that he had just been hired by a company (ZeeVee) as a Marketing Director and he may need me as a contractor. I was looking to make some extra money, so I was eager to help him out. We worked together to bang out a website in a few months. A couple of months later we had a conversation about the possibility of ZeeVee hiring me full-time.
Next thing you know I was headed up to Littleton, MA for an interview with the CEO. As luck would have it, on my way up there, the head gasket of my 2003 Suburu blew out. My engine shorted out two minutes from the parking lot, and Garth had to pick me up. The good news is that I got the job! The bad news is that I was out a car.
I gave my two weeks notice at ZGM and started at ZeeVee as a Digital Marketing Specialist. The job is entirely remote, so I have the freedom to work from anywhere. This really helped out my new relationship. I was able to work from NY so I could visit Rebecca a lot more often. My responsibilities broaden quite a bit, but these new challengings made my workday a lot more interesting. I have been friends with my manager Garth for years, therefore, working for him has been a pleasure. He always looks to me for my opinion on how to tackle problems throughout the day. This was not something I was used to at my prior job.
During the first few months at the company, I sought out a more reliable form of transportation. I went to a small Wallingford dealership with an economical car in mind. The salesmen jerked me around for a little bit, but I was able to talk him down to a reasonable price on a 2015 Toyota Camry. I outfitted it with the latest tech (Apple CarPlay head unit) and some luxury WeatherTech floormats, and I was on my way.
The BIG Roadtrip
During one fateful night in 2017, while my buddies and I were camping in Acadia National Park, we decided that we wanted to go on a cross-country road trip. We always thought that this was a pipe-dream and it would never happen, but a few months into 2018 we put this plan into action.
I have to say that this trip would not have happened without Dan Skuret’s due diligence and master planning. We had several meetings and Skype conferences planning this trip. It was a massive undertaking, but we persisted. Many months, Airbnb bookings, camp-site bookings, and Venmo transactions later we had everything laid out day by day.
We loaded up Dan’s brand new Subaru Outback with all of our camping supplies and took off during the dead of morning August 1st. We drove to Chicago, Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon, and Washington. We hiked the Rocky’s in Colorado, the Grand Tetons in Wyoming, and Mt. Rainer in Washington. We had a right balance of exploring in the outdoors and roaming the cities. Portland and Seattle were top on our lists for food and neat spots to check out. Oh, and I got a sweet tattoo! I can go on and on about this trip so if you want to know more, I can tell you more over a beer sometime.
In closing, 2018 was a big year for me. I met the girl of my dreams, got a killer new job & car, and last but not least – went on a road trip of a lifetime with one of my lifelong friends. My next big challenge will be finally finishing my MBA. I have a feeling that this year will be the year (fingers crossed). Lets kick-ass this year folks!
PS. Sorry for the long first post. I promise that my next one will not be as lengthy.