SO im back from my sales trip and im MUCH better for it :) i have officially found my little place in the workforce for now and im going to sit back and enjoy it. I had a feeling i'd be okay at face to face client meetings....and i was right. It felt so much better! When i met all of my clients who i'd been talking with on the phone for over a year, they were so excited to meet me and show me around their property. We stayed at this awesome resort just out of the main area and it was perfect. We had meetings booked every minute of the day and it was just the BEST. My sales for next years guide are going to be through the roof and i cant wait to be involved in more! The key account manager Suzanne seemed to be really happy with me too. She said she could see the passion i have for the tourism industry in my eyes and in the way i talk about the company with clients. I think she's going to be someone good to have on my team too. She's already talking about more trips and having me be her junior which would be fantastic. BUT i have been burnt before so im going to sit back, relax and enjoy my job now and see what happens. Im getting busier and busier with the Young Tourism Network that im on the board of too so i dont want to run myself to the ground. Although life sure is getting exciting....
The plane ride from Sydney to Melbourne officially SUCKED and i really did think we were in abit of trouble for abit because of the wind! the plane basically did a back flip and i nearly lost my $10 chicken sandwich.. a lady next to me basically went green and she had this look of death in her eye. This does not help my feelings towards my long flight tomorrow night.
I got home to find my mother cleaning my entire apartment and doing about 4 loads of laundy at once. She is officially my angel. I am now almost ready to have a half day at work tomorrow as ive gotto go in for my Performance Review ( nervous/excited about it) and then im back to the airport and off to london!
im nervous about the length of the flight! ive done america a few times but this is a huge step up! 8 hours to Kuala Lumpur and then 14 hours to London! i just hope i'll be able to sleep or just chill out.
Alritey well no posting from me for a while. Hopefully i'll be running around Europe having adventures and enjoying the sunshine :)
peace and love to everyone!
xxxxx
p.s... on a good note.. ive also been thinking about camp a whole lot less.. this = good.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Big things!!
wow so the past few weeks have been crazy long/boring at work but this year is flying by at a very scary rate....i have been checking the camp website every morning to see photos and can very happily say that im okay with not being there now. I just get this vibe that camp is so different and i think i made the right move by staying in Aus and giving my career a red hot go.
Last night i went to a cocktail party with my dad. Let me explain a little bit more about the character that IS John McGaw. This man is honestly the best salesman/marketer i have ever seen. Last night i watched him walk into the room, and i actually saw peoples faces light up and start to gravitate towards him. He works the room like his life depends on it, shaking peoples hands, remembering the smallest details about them so they feel like he's their best friend. Lately ive been really watching my dad as he is the national sales and marketing developer for the Official Visitors Guide for Melbourne. also known as "the biggest selling melbourne tourism magazine" and obviously this is the path i want to travel down eventually as well. Dad introduced me to so many people last night it was quite a blur, but the man really does have my back in every way possible. Although we're technically working for competition magazines, he was working it for me last night. Introducing me as his daughter but then quickly explaining where i work and what i do and then leaving the conversation for me to finish up by handing them my business card and telling them i'd call tomorrow to set up a meeting. It was SUCH a rush!
Anyway so as i said, work has been boring and ive been looking for my next adventure. Today during our weekly sales meeting, my boss announces that the key account manager suzanne is going to Coffs Harbour ( 2 hour flight out of melbourne) and he thinks i should go with her. YES! FINALLY! face to face client contact! AND Coffs Harbour is a region that i have been managing for 2 years so i have clients that i have been wanting to meet for a long time. I am really pumped to get on the road and talk about the magazine and see what i can do. Only issue im facing now is getting a business suit, drain, and then getting all my thoughts together for my massive week. i also have my performance review on monday where im basically going to ask for a better job role and more money. HA the possibility of this happening is slim to none.. but it doesnt hurt to ask...
AND THEN... after my flight lands back in Melbourne on Wednesday night.. i have to run home.. wash.. pack...go to work on thursday for half a day and that night i'm OFF TO LONDON! wwaaahhhhh! so so so excited about all the adventures that are ahead of me. nervous about being on time and organised but i just have to push myself. Its all about taking myself to the next level now..
long story short.. ( although its ended up being quite long) im excited/nervous/happy/pumped for the next few weeks....
OHHH ANNND my besties from america FINALLY bought their ticket to see me today and i am over the moon. i have got SO much planned for them and i cant wait to spoil them rotten..
Signing out,
Sarah
xxx
Last night i went to a cocktail party with my dad. Let me explain a little bit more about the character that IS John McGaw. This man is honestly the best salesman/marketer i have ever seen. Last night i watched him walk into the room, and i actually saw peoples faces light up and start to gravitate towards him. He works the room like his life depends on it, shaking peoples hands, remembering the smallest details about them so they feel like he's their best friend. Lately ive been really watching my dad as he is the national sales and marketing developer for the Official Visitors Guide for Melbourne. also known as "the biggest selling melbourne tourism magazine" and obviously this is the path i want to travel down eventually as well. Dad introduced me to so many people last night it was quite a blur, but the man really does have my back in every way possible. Although we're technically working for competition magazines, he was working it for me last night. Introducing me as his daughter but then quickly explaining where i work and what i do and then leaving the conversation for me to finish up by handing them my business card and telling them i'd call tomorrow to set up a meeting. It was SUCH a rush!
Anyway so as i said, work has been boring and ive been looking for my next adventure. Today during our weekly sales meeting, my boss announces that the key account manager suzanne is going to Coffs Harbour ( 2 hour flight out of melbourne) and he thinks i should go with her. YES! FINALLY! face to face client contact! AND Coffs Harbour is a region that i have been managing for 2 years so i have clients that i have been wanting to meet for a long time. I am really pumped to get on the road and talk about the magazine and see what i can do. Only issue im facing now is getting a business suit, drain, and then getting all my thoughts together for my massive week. i also have my performance review on monday where im basically going to ask for a better job role and more money. HA the possibility of this happening is slim to none.. but it doesnt hurt to ask...
AND THEN... after my flight lands back in Melbourne on Wednesday night.. i have to run home.. wash.. pack...go to work on thursday for half a day and that night i'm OFF TO LONDON! wwaaahhhhh! so so so excited about all the adventures that are ahead of me. nervous about being on time and organised but i just have to push myself. Its all about taking myself to the next level now..
long story short.. ( although its ended up being quite long) im excited/nervous/happy/pumped for the next few weeks....
OHHH ANNND my besties from america FINALLY bought their ticket to see me today and i am over the moon. i have got SO much planned for them and i cant wait to spoil them rotten..
Signing out,
Sarah
xxx
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
officially shattered...
I am in SUCH a grand slump right now and im trying to pull myself out. I cannot stop thinking about camp and its actually affecting my day to day life! ive been having regular coffee sessions with this girl called Sam who lives about 20 minutes away from me and she's been hired for camp this summer!! she is super cute, super happy and i couldnt imagine a better person to go to camp. Of course, apart of me just doesnt want to like her..BUT of course i do cos she is just great. She flies out in the morning and i just spoke to her on the phone. She is beside herself but i kept reasuring her she's in for the best time of her life. Poor me...sitting here watching the devil wears prada for the 100th time..
Work was a massive bitch today because we just found out the magazine i work on went to print with SO MANY mistakes... it then got distributed to our clients and they started calling and screaming things like "you've ruined my business" and "you owe me thousands of dollars". So needless to say, it was just a delight.
ive recently figured out something about my neighbours. Theyre a great indian couple who always check up on me and have even been known to help with my washing... the last few weeks... right around 7pm at night.. dirty and i mean.. DIRTY rnb comes blarring from their apartment and it lasts about 20 minutes and then it stops. Every night like clockwork. And this isnt just music that you can kinda hear.. it actually comes screaming into my apartment and i have to turn my tv up... anyway this morning on the train i bumped into my neighbour and i said to her " sounds like your apartment is a party house after 7 every night" and her reply was " ohhhh yes my boyfriend gets home from work and likes to get abit frisky before our room mate comes home"
oh. dead.lord. theyre rocking the kazbaaaaaar!! haha and now that i know..7pm.. A TV time slot that i normally enjoy is ruined cos i know theyre doing the nasty! i will never look at them the same way..
Alritey well the countdown to the UK is officially on 22 days! and there is only 198 days until my besties land from the US... thats not too far away right?
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Time for an update!
so im sitting in my apartment...which i havent left all day... stuffing my face with pancakes.. and i realised that today is the day i would normally leave for camp. Oh dear. it came along so quickly, i knew it was going to be rough and apart of me was going to ignore it. I had even thought about switching my facebook off for a month and keeping as busy as humanly possible. BUT thats abit extreme. I just need to suck it up...i have promised myself that im not going to check the camp website though. I just have this overwhelming feeling that im not meant to be here! my heart is at camp but im here. I know i have to grow up, and there really was no option to go to camp as all my besties arent going back anyway and i gotto move on. I moved out, got a good job now.... but 3 years of leaving australia on the same date and landing in Cleveland to walk through the doors and knowing that the best 3 months are ahead of me is a hard feeling to let go of...
The past few weeks have been pretty standard which is why i just havent had the urge to blog. I wish i had a thousand ridiculously awesome stories but.. alas.. i feel like im just plugging along. although Sarah Holloway ( the first friend i made at camp in 05 and basically the love of my life) came to visit! the airport reunion was seriously from the movies. The Melbourne airport is kinda like the movie Love Actually with the opening doors.. so i stood there for like 30 minutes waiting for her and then all of a sudden she jumped out and we both started screaming and we fully ran to eachother and some people clapped. that was random..anyway we had a great week. We did alot of shopping, spent the night in a flashy hotel, did a road trip to see some penguins and just generally had a great time hanging out. Was so nice to have her around my apartment too! that girl loved to clean..
Oh so something great happened yesterday! i have a mate who ive been friends with since i was 7 and he's the most amazing guitar player i have ever seen. he picks up music without a problem and he loves the same kinda music as me. Anyway i went around to his house with some other guys and we just jammed and made music all afternoon. It was so awesome to just chill out and sing. So i think we're going to make it a regular thing and maybe even try to get some local gigs just for fun. Also yesterday, i went to the hairdresser cos i wanted to be a brunette for winter, but my hairdresser also tricked me into thinking a shorter hair cut would be awesome and now i just dont know... ITS ALL GONE PEOPLE. well... not all gone but its seriously so short.. grow hair GROW!
Work is standard. We're not working on a magazine right now so we're just promoting membership and trying to get new clients to sign up with us. Its a nice change but im looking forward to having some time off. Im now completly aware that my bosses are just telling me what i want to hear so i'll stay with the company. They keep promising me training and growth but nothing happens. They promise new job roles opening up but then they hire outside the company and dont even give us a chance to interview. A few posts ago i mentioned a Key Account Manager role position coming about, and they filled it without even telling us. I got pulled into my bosses office to be told that " your passion is amazing and we are loving watching you grow and learn but you're just not ready yet" and when i ask them how i get ready? they just smile and say " be patient sarah, your time will come" pfft. im ready NOW!
So work gives me a lot of time to think and plan and research what i wanna do. In between all the work of course. And ive decided the following thing....
1- i love sales/promotions/marketing/eventing and i'm going to give it a really red hot go and get serious about it when i choose to settle down.
2- i want to go on a massive adventure. Like, not just camp. And not a mini holiday like my UK adventure thats coming up. But actually save up, pack a bag and do something extremely random. Like work in Hawaii and teach scuba diving ( side note, must learn how to scuba dive) or move to an american city for a year and intern at a magazine. Maybe buy a bus and drive around australia meeting people along the way. I just wanna be on the road doing something.
3- Ive also been thinking that my supposed chosen career isnt really giving back to the world. All i do in life is basically to help myself and i dont think thats going to set me on the right path later on down the road. So i think im going to start getting really involved with the Australian Breast Cancer Research group. They're always looking for people to hold events and raise money and god knows its an issue very close to my family.
4- ive also decided that when i get tired of traveling and marketing gets boring im going to be a pre school teacher. Ive been thinking about it SO much lately. i want to have like 4 career changes in my life anyway so i think that will be career number 2. other options include Tour Guide, Make up Artist, Beauty Therapist or if none of these happen i'll just live off my parents for as long as possible.
So im watching superbad and its making me wanna go back to high school SO much... there are so many outrageous one liners... and i also secretly wanna get nasty with Jonah Hill. Its between Jonah Hill, Jason Segal and Jack Osbourne. Anyway yeah i majorly miss high school. i went to a really small private school so we were all so close. in our senior year we had a common room we'd all mess around in. I have so many amazing memories from high school... like stealing my friends shoes and putting them in the microwave or taking my best friends sport shorts..wetting them and then putting them in the freezer. Ah man i miss not having any worries. I still see the majority of the kids i went to high school with and we party most weekends. There is a group of about 30 of us that see eachother most weekends and you can always guarantee a good time. Everyone is super chilled back and just wants to party and have a good time. Im lucky to have them for sure.
Okay so there are 27 days left until i get to jump on the plane to the UK and im seriously pumped. Im going to book some flights tomorrow and then i think i'll be BESIDE myself.
Alritey well its late now, and i need to go to sleep. Hopefully tonight i will not dream of camp... which i have been for the past few nights.
Love to anyone who reads this..especially a few camp girls who i know read this... i miss you more than ever and i am counting down the days till i can see you all again..
xx
The past few weeks have been pretty standard which is why i just havent had the urge to blog. I wish i had a thousand ridiculously awesome stories but.. alas.. i feel like im just plugging along. although Sarah Holloway ( the first friend i made at camp in 05 and basically the love of my life) came to visit! the airport reunion was seriously from the movies. The Melbourne airport is kinda like the movie Love Actually with the opening doors.. so i stood there for like 30 minutes waiting for her and then all of a sudden she jumped out and we both started screaming and we fully ran to eachother and some people clapped. that was random..anyway we had a great week. We did alot of shopping, spent the night in a flashy hotel, did a road trip to see some penguins and just generally had a great time hanging out. Was so nice to have her around my apartment too! that girl loved to clean..
Oh so something great happened yesterday! i have a mate who ive been friends with since i was 7 and he's the most amazing guitar player i have ever seen. he picks up music without a problem and he loves the same kinda music as me. Anyway i went around to his house with some other guys and we just jammed and made music all afternoon. It was so awesome to just chill out and sing. So i think we're going to make it a regular thing and maybe even try to get some local gigs just for fun. Also yesterday, i went to the hairdresser cos i wanted to be a brunette for winter, but my hairdresser also tricked me into thinking a shorter hair cut would be awesome and now i just dont know... ITS ALL GONE PEOPLE. well... not all gone but its seriously so short.. grow hair GROW!
Work is standard. We're not working on a magazine right now so we're just promoting membership and trying to get new clients to sign up with us. Its a nice change but im looking forward to having some time off. Im now completly aware that my bosses are just telling me what i want to hear so i'll stay with the company. They keep promising me training and growth but nothing happens. They promise new job roles opening up but then they hire outside the company and dont even give us a chance to interview. A few posts ago i mentioned a Key Account Manager role position coming about, and they filled it without even telling us. I got pulled into my bosses office to be told that " your passion is amazing and we are loving watching you grow and learn but you're just not ready yet" and when i ask them how i get ready? they just smile and say " be patient sarah, your time will come" pfft. im ready NOW!
So work gives me a lot of time to think and plan and research what i wanna do. In between all the work of course. And ive decided the following thing....
1- i love sales/promotions/marketing/eventing and i'm going to give it a really red hot go and get serious about it when i choose to settle down.
2- i want to go on a massive adventure. Like, not just camp. And not a mini holiday like my UK adventure thats coming up. But actually save up, pack a bag and do something extremely random. Like work in Hawaii and teach scuba diving ( side note, must learn how to scuba dive) or move to an american city for a year and intern at a magazine. Maybe buy a bus and drive around australia meeting people along the way. I just wanna be on the road doing something.
3- Ive also been thinking that my supposed chosen career isnt really giving back to the world. All i do in life is basically to help myself and i dont think thats going to set me on the right path later on down the road. So i think im going to start getting really involved with the Australian Breast Cancer Research group. They're always looking for people to hold events and raise money and god knows its an issue very close to my family.
4- ive also decided that when i get tired of traveling and marketing gets boring im going to be a pre school teacher. Ive been thinking about it SO much lately. i want to have like 4 career changes in my life anyway so i think that will be career number 2. other options include Tour Guide, Make up Artist, Beauty Therapist or if none of these happen i'll just live off my parents for as long as possible.
So im watching superbad and its making me wanna go back to high school SO much... there are so many outrageous one liners... and i also secretly wanna get nasty with Jonah Hill. Its between Jonah Hill, Jason Segal and Jack Osbourne. Anyway yeah i majorly miss high school. i went to a really small private school so we were all so close. in our senior year we had a common room we'd all mess around in. I have so many amazing memories from high school... like stealing my friends shoes and putting them in the microwave or taking my best friends sport shorts..wetting them and then putting them in the freezer. Ah man i miss not having any worries. I still see the majority of the kids i went to high school with and we party most weekends. There is a group of about 30 of us that see eachother most weekends and you can always guarantee a good time. Everyone is super chilled back and just wants to party and have a good time. Im lucky to have them for sure.
Okay so there are 27 days left until i get to jump on the plane to the UK and im seriously pumped. Im going to book some flights tomorrow and then i think i'll be BESIDE myself.
Alritey well its late now, and i need to go to sleep. Hopefully tonight i will not dream of camp... which i have been for the past few nights.
Love to anyone who reads this..especially a few camp girls who i know read this... i miss you more than ever and i am counting down the days till i can see you all again..
xx
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Impulse decisions are the best...
So i did something kind of brash.. i was sitting at my desk wondering about what all my other friends overseas would be doing at that very moment. I do it all the time cos i get so bored sometimes. I check the time in their country and imagine what crazy fun theyre having. Is that lame? i cant help it. anyway i got an email from one of my friends Lillian. She lives in england and i miss her so much its ridiculous. Anyway i was thinking about how much time off i have up my sleeve and wondering how long i could get away for if i was to say... go to london?
so i went to my boss with the proposed idea and.... I HAVE 3 WEEKS OFF AND IM BUYING MY TICKET TO LONDON TOMORROW! it all happened so so fast. but i thought... what the hell? im young, i have some money in the bank and i wanna have another adventure.
I called Lillian and she started screaming and crying. so i think she might be a little excited. I cant believe i am going to see all my english friends. I am beyond excited. 50 sleeps. 50 sleeps. 50 sleeps. I cannot WAIT to get off that 24 hour flight and see lillians face at the other end. I will cry. no doubt.
in other news..... ive been working super hard lately and being a very good girl. At work on time, short lunch breaks, helping out the new staff. trying to prove that im a good employee is hard yakka. Hope its all worth it......
England = SO SOON!
so i went to my boss with the proposed idea and.... I HAVE 3 WEEKS OFF AND IM BUYING MY TICKET TO LONDON TOMORROW! it all happened so so fast. but i thought... what the hell? im young, i have some money in the bank and i wanna have another adventure.
I called Lillian and she started screaming and crying. so i think she might be a little excited. I cant believe i am going to see all my english friends. I am beyond excited. 50 sleeps. 50 sleeps. 50 sleeps. I cannot WAIT to get off that 24 hour flight and see lillians face at the other end. I will cry. no doubt.
in other news..... ive been working super hard lately and being a very good girl. At work on time, short lunch breaks, helping out the new staff. trying to prove that im a good employee is hard yakka. Hope its all worth it......
England = SO SOON!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Learning something new every day...
Its May... i cannot believe it...this time last year i was gathering up last minute things for Camp and getting new clothes ready for summer. Instead, i just bought a new winter coat and im sleeping with 2 heavy blakets cos its so freaking cold. I have no immidiate travel plans and all my moolah seems to get going on beer and rent. oh dear.
So the past week was a big one! i work full time and im totally used to it now and i like the stability in knowing how my basic week is planned out. its the extra additions that keep things fun! anyway i learnt a pretty massive lesson at work this week... but let me give the back story first.
At work i am an account manager, i deal with medium level clients and have a medium sized advertising budget i have to reach for every magazine we publish. I like it, im good at my job but i want more! i want bigger clients, which i dont hide from my bosses. The next level above me is the KEY account manager. Bigger clients, bigger budget, more travel ect ect. At the moment i am really good friends with the 2 key accounts. Ann Marie, and Jp. We have lunch together every day and i always ask them for advice on how to handle clients and theyre very good to me. Anyway JP just got promoted to Sales Manager so he's now my boss which is GREAT. anyway this = good news for me as im of course wanting to move up to the key account and start getting serious.
OKAY so this is where i get totally shat on.
Ann marie, although great, has this habbit of asking me to do things for her all the time. She knows ive done a few make up courses so she has asked me to do her make up a few times and i always just go along with it cos we're friends. Then she took it a step further and asked me to do hers and her mothers make up for her brothers wedding...which i did and she didnt even OFFEER to pay or anything. i would have said no, but still. Anyway now its getting out of hand..She asks me almost every day to "run and grab her lunch" or "can you quickly do my hair cos i have a meeting" ect ect. Now here comes the knife to the back. On Friday, i was sitting at my desk and she emailed me saying "ive cleared it with JP, and he said you can have an extra 20 minutes for lunch so you can do my hair for tonight" i sighed... walked over and got started cos im a total sucker. Anyway JP walks into the room and gives me this look that screamed "sarah,what are you doing????" so i walk back to my desk and finished my day. At about 5.30 i walked past my general manager Liz ( who is in charge of the whole company) and she asks me to come in and sit down as she needs to talk about something with me. the first thing Liz says to me is " now im telling you this as your friend, not your general manager, but someone has made an official complaint against you" my heart SANK. apparently JP and Ann Marie had a mini meeting after the day and when JP asked what ann marie thought of the team, she said, and i QUOTE " Sarah is good, but she wastes too much time, always doing peoples hair and messing around with make up" ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? i have never been so angry! how dare she! think about it! she is making a complaint against ME for doing something for HER!? which i NEVER want to do, but do it to keep the peace cos we're friends. When i told my GM that ANN MARIE was in fact was the one that always asked me to do things, she was shocked and immidiately deleted the complaint. That night i had a work function, and ann marie followed me around like a bad smell. She knew i knew...
Backtracking a baby bit... Liz also told me that my name is being thrown around for the Key position. But the only thing standing in my way is my age and the fact that ann marie hasnt said positive things about me behind my back. Liz said i have to prove myself and now is the time to do it. So its nice to know i have Lizs support and i am now aware of who my friends are. Its a tough lesson to learn as i assume everyone is my friend and this is just not the case.
In other news, had my house warming last night and had a pretty great time! My apartment is super small so it was pretty cramped BUT all my favourites came and we boogied and danced the night away. My landlord ended up closing the party down at about 2 cos the noise was too much, but it was so nice to just hang out with my buddies and dress up like zoo animals. 2 of these guys came ( uninvited of course) rocked up and they are absolute losers. Anyway they came in SO DRUNK they couldnt even get in the door without falling over. They knocked over 3 wine glasses and spilt red wine all down my couch. My boys ended up kicking them out, but not before they stole a keg of beer and poured beer down my best mates top. Great fellas.
So there you go. This week i am going to be the BEST employee ever. I am going to be on time, keep kicking the budgets ass and when asked to " quickly do something cute" to ann maries hair, im going to smile and keep walking. I am an advertising account manager, not a freaking hair dresser.
OH, and i spoke to my 2 besties in america again. and it SERIOUSLY looks like they are coming to see me in December!!!! i will pass out...
XOX
So the past week was a big one! i work full time and im totally used to it now and i like the stability in knowing how my basic week is planned out. its the extra additions that keep things fun! anyway i learnt a pretty massive lesson at work this week... but let me give the back story first.
At work i am an account manager, i deal with medium level clients and have a medium sized advertising budget i have to reach for every magazine we publish. I like it, im good at my job but i want more! i want bigger clients, which i dont hide from my bosses. The next level above me is the KEY account manager. Bigger clients, bigger budget, more travel ect ect. At the moment i am really good friends with the 2 key accounts. Ann Marie, and Jp. We have lunch together every day and i always ask them for advice on how to handle clients and theyre very good to me. Anyway JP just got promoted to Sales Manager so he's now my boss which is GREAT. anyway this = good news for me as im of course wanting to move up to the key account and start getting serious.
OKAY so this is where i get totally shat on.
Ann marie, although great, has this habbit of asking me to do things for her all the time. She knows ive done a few make up courses so she has asked me to do her make up a few times and i always just go along with it cos we're friends. Then she took it a step further and asked me to do hers and her mothers make up for her brothers wedding...which i did and she didnt even OFFEER to pay or anything. i would have said no, but still. Anyway now its getting out of hand..She asks me almost every day to "run and grab her lunch" or "can you quickly do my hair cos i have a meeting" ect ect. Now here comes the knife to the back. On Friday, i was sitting at my desk and she emailed me saying "ive cleared it with JP, and he said you can have an extra 20 minutes for lunch so you can do my hair for tonight" i sighed... walked over and got started cos im a total sucker. Anyway JP walks into the room and gives me this look that screamed "sarah,what are you doing????" so i walk back to my desk and finished my day. At about 5.30 i walked past my general manager Liz ( who is in charge of the whole company) and she asks me to come in and sit down as she needs to talk about something with me. the first thing Liz says to me is " now im telling you this as your friend, not your general manager, but someone has made an official complaint against you" my heart SANK. apparently JP and Ann Marie had a mini meeting after the day and when JP asked what ann marie thought of the team, she said, and i QUOTE " Sarah is good, but she wastes too much time, always doing peoples hair and messing around with make up" ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? i have never been so angry! how dare she! think about it! she is making a complaint against ME for doing something for HER!? which i NEVER want to do, but do it to keep the peace cos we're friends. When i told my GM that ANN MARIE was in fact was the one that always asked me to do things, she was shocked and immidiately deleted the complaint. That night i had a work function, and ann marie followed me around like a bad smell. She knew i knew...
Backtracking a baby bit... Liz also told me that my name is being thrown around for the Key position. But the only thing standing in my way is my age and the fact that ann marie hasnt said positive things about me behind my back. Liz said i have to prove myself and now is the time to do it. So its nice to know i have Lizs support and i am now aware of who my friends are. Its a tough lesson to learn as i assume everyone is my friend and this is just not the case.
In other news, had my house warming last night and had a pretty great time! My apartment is super small so it was pretty cramped BUT all my favourites came and we boogied and danced the night away. My landlord ended up closing the party down at about 2 cos the noise was too much, but it was so nice to just hang out with my buddies and dress up like zoo animals. 2 of these guys came ( uninvited of course) rocked up and they are absolute losers. Anyway they came in SO DRUNK they couldnt even get in the door without falling over. They knocked over 3 wine glasses and spilt red wine all down my couch. My boys ended up kicking them out, but not before they stole a keg of beer and poured beer down my best mates top. Great fellas.
So there you go. This week i am going to be the BEST employee ever. I am going to be on time, keep kicking the budgets ass and when asked to " quickly do something cute" to ann maries hair, im going to smile and keep walking. I am an advertising account manager, not a freaking hair dresser.
OH, and i spoke to my 2 besties in america again. and it SERIOUSLY looks like they are coming to see me in December!!!! i will pass out...
XOX
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
A Super Big Day...
So i woke up this morning with my day very clearly organised in my head. I was going to put my business woman suit on ( with my new trench coat that makes me feel like a celeb) and i would strut to work and dominate my interview to become team leader of the sales and marketing team at my work. The end. i would hopefully get a 2nd round interview and then it would be announced that i am in charge.
wow. things change quick. I arrived right on time which never happens so i was quite happy with that... but as soon as i sat down i knew my boss and the HR manager had other things in mind for me.
Really great interview. Great questions..some of them threw me off badly though. When asked "if made the team leader and you had to fire 3 of your team mates, who would you fire and why?" oh man... that is SUCH a loaded question. It is hard because these girls and boys are my friends.. i spend all day every day with them and we are extremely involved in eachothers lives. I wont let my friendship with them hold me back, but i dont see why being a bitch about it could possibly help. They also kept asking questions about problem solving using past experiences and i must have referenced my girls at camp 20 times. I have never been so thankful for camp in my whole life. Its suddenly dawned on me, that camp wasnt just the happiest pleace for me, but it also taught me so many life lessons. lame yeah yeah but its true.
Really talked full on for an hour about me, my life, my career, and my goals. They then went on to explain the team leader position in absolute detail. No Sales, No client interation. Boring. If appointed, I may not even have a budget at all; I may not even make sales calls. My whole day would be monitoring the team and motivating them to make sales and monitor their progress. 100% not what I want to do. So basically in the middle of the interview i stopped. Said i appreciated their time and asked to withdraw my application.
Oh geez.
The look on their face was priceless. Kind of like " oh, um, well, what the hell do we ask her next?"
Then the big question came. " Sarah, what DO you want to do? you cant run around America all your life" Ohhhh she really touched a sore spot.. but i chose not to react.
I answered that I LOVE sales, i love advertising, i love marketing and i am extremely ready for bigger clients and higher budgets and i want to start now. I told them that i am not leaving the country, im here to work and learn from them BUT i need to know they have bigger things in mind for me. If im going to give up travelling for 2 years, i need to know im going to come out of it at the other end with something to show for it.
Although the outcome was not was i expected today, i feel so empowered by the whole thing. I had a great interview, i realised that although team leader is the step up i crave, it isnt a step in the right direction. I know my bosses believe in my ability now and word on the street is theyre about to announce a new position. Key Account Manager. Drool... face to face advertising sales, National clients and million dollar budgets. Sales is my porn.no doubt.
I ended in saying that I am excited for the future, even though I don’t know what that is yet. I said I am dedicated to being the best I can be, i smiled and went back to my desk.
In the end, they know I want to learn, they know I want to achieve and they know I want more responsibility. What more can I do now?
in other news, i had a date a few weeks back with a boy i met on the train, it was horrible... he came to the date wearing suspenders and it officially lasted 8 minutes as i called rachel to come and save me ASAP when he asked me my views on capital punishment. Either way, i told him i wasnt keen...and now.. i see him EVERYWHERE i go! he must live around the corner from me, i see him when i go for walks, i see him when im on my way to work or after a big night out with the girls. Note to self. dont meet boys on public transport outside your apartment if you dont want to see them again. Awkward. The End.
Also, my best mate in Aus Rachel moved overseas last week. A little shattered as she is my partner in Melbourne based crimes, but more shattered as she is currently living it up in London with my lifetime lover Richard who i met at camp. Gah. Jealousy can be a tricky emotion...
ps. i can now cook 4 different meals. not including toast so technically thats 5! wahoooo!!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
will tap dance for money..
So its wednesday night.. and it feels like i have been awake for days.. i dont know why im not sleeping well. So much is going through my little head about everything. work, family,friends, love blah blah...
Since moving out my relationship with my parents has been a little strange. I see them once or twice a week but they call me 10 times a day. In the morning to say hello, mid morning to see if i got to work on time ( am i 10 years old?) at lunch to see how my morning was... you can see the pattern. Dont get me wrong, my folks are the best people ever and i adore them but im trying this whole independent thing and not getting very far.
Anyway what ive been doing. Well on the weekend mum had a conference in Sydney so i thought i would tag along. I havent been to sydney in since i was a little kid so it was the perfect time. Also there is a guy i met at camp 2006 that i havent seen since and id been missing him heaps.
So Sydney...what a place... definately not somewhere i would EVER live but fun just for the weekend. The city is so confusing, almost every street is one way so you're constantly driving in circles. We got cabs everywhere cos..well..mum was paying and cabs are better than buses. I dont know if it was national crazy cab driver weekend but between the italian man telling us about being a bricklayer for hitler and having to wear string for a belt....and a woman telling me my fortune whilst driving ( which included me becoming a famous writer and falling in love with a married man) it sure was an experience. The city is pretty dirty...and the people are really rude but i do love seeing the opera house.. everytime i see it i still get excited. We must have walked and shopped for hours. Also splurged on a jet boat ride around darling harbour. A Definate MUST DO if you're ever in the area. Going 100mph in front of the opera house and doing 360 turns was just hilarious. i couldnt stop laughing which equalled me not being able to breathe which then led to choking on sea water... yes i am a catch fellas.. make a line.. only shattered thing was i lost my FAV sunglasses in the middle of a turn and as we were pulling back up to the harbour my mother laughed in my face and told me i looked like " a wet zebra" as apparently my hair was standing up straight and i had mascara running down my face. once again, yes i am a complete catch.
On saturday night mum and i went out to a fabulous thai dinner ( my new obsession) and saw Billy Elliot the musical. Anything with dancing and singing is going to be brilliant. plus i LOVED the movie so was super excited when mum suprised me with the tickets.
Did some serious shopping, walked past the Alex Perry head quarters and just as i was saying "i could never imagine paying $20,000 just for a dress" ALEX PERRY actually walked behind me... not even kidding...
All in all... Sydney is a good weekend visit but Melbourne is where my heart lives. It is the most fantastic city and i couldnt imagine living anywhere else forever. The people, the city, the river that runs through the middle of it all. i just love it. My favourite thing in LIFE is having friends from other places coms visit. Being able to show them my town and the things i love. OO the best news i have heard in a LONG time is 2 of my best friends in the world Amanda and Sharon have almost 100% committed to coming to Australia in December. Needless to say, if this does happen i will FREAK OUT and start counting down the minutes. I cant wait to spoilt them!
anyway thats whats going on right now. work is okay...nothing exciting happening right now. I have an interview for the team leader position on Tuesday which im starting to prep for. would really love to take a step up in my career...but on the other hand i would LOVE to throw it all away and run to america to play with my besties... thoughts?
Since moving out my relationship with my parents has been a little strange. I see them once or twice a week but they call me 10 times a day. In the morning to say hello, mid morning to see if i got to work on time ( am i 10 years old?) at lunch to see how my morning was... you can see the pattern. Dont get me wrong, my folks are the best people ever and i adore them but im trying this whole independent thing and not getting very far.
Anyway what ive been doing. Well on the weekend mum had a conference in Sydney so i thought i would tag along. I havent been to sydney in since i was a little kid so it was the perfect time. Also there is a guy i met at camp 2006 that i havent seen since and id been missing him heaps.
So Sydney...what a place... definately not somewhere i would EVER live but fun just for the weekend. The city is so confusing, almost every street is one way so you're constantly driving in circles. We got cabs everywhere cos..well..mum was paying and cabs are better than buses. I dont know if it was national crazy cab driver weekend but between the italian man telling us about being a bricklayer for hitler and having to wear string for a belt....and a woman telling me my fortune whilst driving ( which included me becoming a famous writer and falling in love with a married man) it sure was an experience. The city is pretty dirty...and the people are really rude but i do love seeing the opera house.. everytime i see it i still get excited. We must have walked and shopped for hours. Also splurged on a jet boat ride around darling harbour. A Definate MUST DO if you're ever in the area. Going 100mph in front of the opera house and doing 360 turns was just hilarious. i couldnt stop laughing which equalled me not being able to breathe which then led to choking on sea water... yes i am a catch fellas.. make a line.. only shattered thing was i lost my FAV sunglasses in the middle of a turn and as we were pulling back up to the harbour my mother laughed in my face and told me i looked like " a wet zebra" as apparently my hair was standing up straight and i had mascara running down my face. once again, yes i am a complete catch.
On saturday night mum and i went out to a fabulous thai dinner ( my new obsession) and saw Billy Elliot the musical. Anything with dancing and singing is going to be brilliant. plus i LOVED the movie so was super excited when mum suprised me with the tickets.
Did some serious shopping, walked past the Alex Perry head quarters and just as i was saying "i could never imagine paying $20,000 just for a dress" ALEX PERRY actually walked behind me... not even kidding...
All in all... Sydney is a good weekend visit but Melbourne is where my heart lives. It is the most fantastic city and i couldnt imagine living anywhere else forever. The people, the city, the river that runs through the middle of it all. i just love it. My favourite thing in LIFE is having friends from other places coms visit. Being able to show them my town and the things i love. OO the best news i have heard in a LONG time is 2 of my best friends in the world Amanda and Sharon have almost 100% committed to coming to Australia in December. Needless to say, if this does happen i will FREAK OUT and start counting down the minutes. I cant wait to spoilt them!
anyway thats whats going on right now. work is okay...nothing exciting happening right now. I have an interview for the team leader position on Tuesday which im starting to prep for. would really love to take a step up in my career...but on the other hand i would LOVE to throw it all away and run to america to play with my besties... thoughts?
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
babies first step...
What a great day!
I woke up.. and literally jumped out of bed. Put some classic Al Green on and got my day started. (note to all "cant get next to you" is the sexiest song i have ever heard) anyway had a load of fresh laundry to choose from which is always a major bonus. Gotto love when mum comes over to visit...she always leaves my apartment smelling like vanilla. She is seriously the best lady ever. Anyway as i closed the door to my house and stepped out onto the pavement the trees kind of parted and the sun started shining. It was 100% 'movie esque' and i actually found myself smiling and walking down the street. lamo i know. but i just had a feeling that things were going to happen today. i wasnt wrong.
So i got to work and found 2 new emails from clients wishing to take out larger advertisments in a magazine im working on right now. Score. I walk into the kitchen and find one last muffin. Score. and to top it all off... the creepy IT nerd that watches everyone when they work and looks like he is constantly picturing you naked or doing nasty ass things is on holidays for 2 whole weeks! double score!
As i mentioned in my first blog.. work is great but getting a little boring and im super keen to move on up. The position of sales Team Leader is now being advertised publicly so today seemed like the perfect day to get my resume in order and go in for the kill. I wrote a kick ass cover letter and printed my resume off in pretty font. yes i do think that matters. i spent 2 hours putting it all together and felt so accomplished by the end. I marched myself down to the HR Managers office and handed it to her. Her response was " Thank you Miss McGaw, i look forward to reading this and meeting with you furhter to discuss your career" GAH. So yes. I did it. I took a first step. I actually did something today that could change my day to day life which makes me feel great and sick at the same time.
After work i had dinner with a new friend. His name is sharkey and he is best friends with a guy i had a thing with at camp back in 2005. Anyway he is a very cool character. We met up a few weeks back for the first time as he was new to Melbourne and i told my friend i'd be happy to hang out with him. Turns out we've become mates and we have the best conversations. he's really into music which is a msssive part of my life and we just walk about travel, bands, careers and all the general stuff. Tonight i introduced him to the world of "cheap china town dumplings" and i think i rocked his world. Around the corner from my office you can be a bowl of amaaaaazing chicken dumplings for $6. The service is ridic and the restaurant looks likes someones living room but i think its why i like it so much. Its not mainstream boring... the waiters yell at you when you ask for cutlery and watching sharkey try to use chop sticks tonight was freaking hilarious. Anyway after dinner we usually walk around the city just talking. good kid.
This leads me onto my seconds major announcement today. In the middle of dinner i got a phone call from the president of the Young Tourism Network. http://www.youngtourismnetwork.com/ I joined this network a few months back to meet people in the tourism industry and to start going to events that might help my career. A month ago they started taking nominations for people to be on the board. These 8 people run the network. Plan events. Represent the network at conferences and basically are just totally kick ass. Me, being the ridiculously person that i am, cant ever just be apart of something. A little person inside me says RUN THE WHOLE THING so i nominated myself and got on the ballot papers. I went to a few friday night drinks to scope out my competition and meet the people in the network and ended up having a blast. met LOADS of amazing young people who are just trying to get noticed in the industry. SO back to the phone call, after 2 weeks of voting... I DID IT! i am now officially a Board Member on the Young Tourism Network. I almost choked on my dumplings when i got the phone call. I called my mum who was driving and got so excited she had to pull over. I called my dad who started shouting to the neighbours and also to my dogs that " Sarah did it, she's on the board" so i couldnt have asked for better reactions.
So that was my day. Im exhausted/excited/happy and a little queezy... but i guess thats just what happens when you eat 15 dumplings....
life = good.
I woke up.. and literally jumped out of bed. Put some classic Al Green on and got my day started. (note to all "cant get next to you" is the sexiest song i have ever heard) anyway had a load of fresh laundry to choose from which is always a major bonus. Gotto love when mum comes over to visit...she always leaves my apartment smelling like vanilla. She is seriously the best lady ever. Anyway as i closed the door to my house and stepped out onto the pavement the trees kind of parted and the sun started shining. It was 100% 'movie esque' and i actually found myself smiling and walking down the street. lamo i know. but i just had a feeling that things were going to happen today. i wasnt wrong.
So i got to work and found 2 new emails from clients wishing to take out larger advertisments in a magazine im working on right now. Score. I walk into the kitchen and find one last muffin. Score. and to top it all off... the creepy IT nerd that watches everyone when they work and looks like he is constantly picturing you naked or doing nasty ass things is on holidays for 2 whole weeks! double score!
As i mentioned in my first blog.. work is great but getting a little boring and im super keen to move on up. The position of sales Team Leader is now being advertised publicly so today seemed like the perfect day to get my resume in order and go in for the kill. I wrote a kick ass cover letter and printed my resume off in pretty font. yes i do think that matters. i spent 2 hours putting it all together and felt so accomplished by the end. I marched myself down to the HR Managers office and handed it to her. Her response was " Thank you Miss McGaw, i look forward to reading this and meeting with you furhter to discuss your career" GAH. So yes. I did it. I took a first step. I actually did something today that could change my day to day life which makes me feel great and sick at the same time.
After work i had dinner with a new friend. His name is sharkey and he is best friends with a guy i had a thing with at camp back in 2005. Anyway he is a very cool character. We met up a few weeks back for the first time as he was new to Melbourne and i told my friend i'd be happy to hang out with him. Turns out we've become mates and we have the best conversations. he's really into music which is a msssive part of my life and we just walk about travel, bands, careers and all the general stuff. Tonight i introduced him to the world of "cheap china town dumplings" and i think i rocked his world. Around the corner from my office you can be a bowl of amaaaaazing chicken dumplings for $6. The service is ridic and the restaurant looks likes someones living room but i think its why i like it so much. Its not mainstream boring... the waiters yell at you when you ask for cutlery and watching sharkey try to use chop sticks tonight was freaking hilarious. Anyway after dinner we usually walk around the city just talking. good kid.
This leads me onto my seconds major announcement today. In the middle of dinner i got a phone call from the president of the Young Tourism Network. http://www.youngtourismnetwork.com/ I joined this network a few months back to meet people in the tourism industry and to start going to events that might help my career. A month ago they started taking nominations for people to be on the board. These 8 people run the network. Plan events. Represent the network at conferences and basically are just totally kick ass. Me, being the ridiculously person that i am, cant ever just be apart of something. A little person inside me says RUN THE WHOLE THING so i nominated myself and got on the ballot papers. I went to a few friday night drinks to scope out my competition and meet the people in the network and ended up having a blast. met LOADS of amazing young people who are just trying to get noticed in the industry. SO back to the phone call, after 2 weeks of voting... I DID IT! i am now officially a Board Member on the Young Tourism Network. I almost choked on my dumplings when i got the phone call. I called my mum who was driving and got so excited she had to pull over. I called my dad who started shouting to the neighbours and also to my dogs that " Sarah did it, she's on the board" so i couldnt have asked for better reactions.
So that was my day. Im exhausted/excited/happy and a little queezy... but i guess thats just what happens when you eat 15 dumplings....
life = good.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Where to start...
So here i am, writing a blog. I didnt think i was a blog writing kind of gal. But lately there has been so much going on that i honestly feel this might help me work through some things as well as keep my close pals upto date on where im at.
So me.
Name: Sarah Jade McGaw ( Sarah Mac to those lovely Americans)
Age: 22
Location: South Yarra, Melbourne, Australia.
Occupation: Advertising Account Manager
Hobbies: Music, Shopping... i could lie and say i play sports but who would i really be lying to? TV... yes i actually admit it.. lots of my friends always say "yeah i really have no time for TV". i make time. Going to the movies and seeing pointless comedies to escape thought. and eating at fabulous restaurants...and my fabulous i mean cheap and fast like TGI fridays where the waiters are hot and the food is greasy.
Status: Single...yep..single..looking for my very own Ted Moseby ( see 'how i met your mother' )Mood: Generally happy. but extremely ready for adventure...
So the past 5 years of my life since graduating high school have been full of so many highs and lot of mind numbing lows. I finished high school with a very clear vision. It was going to be easy. I was going to have the " omg best summer ever" with my girls and then start uni. I would be finished in 2 years and i would become an event manager and organise lots of amazing celebrity parties. This went smoothly for the first 18 months and i was really enjoying myself. Then my dad got diagnosed with bowel cancer and life became real. Every day was filled with appointments and all of a sudden he was on the operating room table. Life is put into perspective when you come home from the hospital and accidently find a "goodbye my darling daughter" letter on the table that your mother was supposed to put away just incase. After dad started chemo, he fell into a deep depression that saw him house bound for 6 months. This rocked my world because to those who only knew this side, missed out severley. My father, before the treatments, was the most hilarious/kind/outgoing/loving man and father anyone could wish for. A laugh that was infectious and a general happiness that radiated into rooms he wasnt even standing in. After 8 months of sadness and illness...we finally came to the root of all evil. A sleeping pill called Stillnox that has now been proven to cause mental dissability. and its STILL on the market. The moment my father stopped taking those pills... he started coming back to us.
In the middle of all this, i finished my course and decided that at 19, i needed something that was going to change my life. I had heard of a program called Camp America and had always wanted to know more. Before i knew it, i applied, i was accepted and i was a few short months away from getting on a plane to a little place called Cleveland Ohio. All i knew about Cleveland was that Drew Carey lived there and it was the home of the rock n roll hall of fame. Leaving my mum was the hardest thing i have done in my whole life. At 2am the night before my plane was leaving, i officially had a panic attack and was almost taken to hospital. Not that im a particularly nervous kid, but this was the biggest thing i had ever done in my life. But as ive been learning over the past few years, im a lot stronger than i give myself credit for and i hopped on that plane with tears streaming down my face ready for the great unknown.......
my first memory of america was walking through this big doors and seeing a photo of George Bush... and this american family walked past me and the dad made his kids salute the photo. i chuckled to myself and wondered what i was getting myself in for. I had no idea who was picking me up or what i was walking into. I waited for over an hour and no one was there. I burst into tears and finally a huge black woman came and said " child why are you crying" and i explained where i was from and that they must have forgotten to pick me up. She laughed and told me i was in the wrong area and needed to go through the gates. HA. oops. of course i walked through and met someone who would end up being a massive part of my life. Sarah Holloway. But we'll talk more about her later.
the next 8 weeks were a complete blur. i met people from all over the world and made friends people only dream about. I always wonder what sort of person i would be like if i never got on that plane. I wonder if i would have gone back to university and finished my degree... or if i would have just chosen another adventure. Truth is, i think i would be a very bratty,spoilt, sheltered kid. I know i can be those things at times, but camp actually changed who i am, as cliche as that sounds. In life, all i want to do is laugh, dance, take photos, play in the mud and be surrounded by good quality people. Camp IS all of these things for me. http://www.campwise.org/ i ended up going for 3 years and have enough stories to write a book. maybe one day i will... best seller? probably not, but oh man it would include stories such as my first american kiss in the middle of a field in Ohio, my first joint which led to sleeping UNDER my bed cos my sheets were "creeping me out" falling in love with about 10 different israeli men, sneaking out and pretending i, myself was a camper, meeting girls who i truley believe i am soul mates with, making out on the top of the empire state building and making other choices that you would NEVER do if you werent in a foreign country. The last year for me was the best by far, no boy drama, no girl drama. it was 100% full of love and laughter. 2 of the worlds most important things. There arent really differnt "groups" at camp... but the girls i spent my time with are the people others WISH they knew. These girls are smart, beautiful, funny, kind, naughty, caring, confident and everything i want to be. They know who they are. I miss them every day. and i tell them how much i love them as much as i can. Just wish there wasnt so much space between us. England, America and Israel arent just around the corner...
So me.
Name: Sarah Jade McGaw ( Sarah Mac to those lovely Americans)
Age: 22
Location: South Yarra, Melbourne, Australia.
Occupation: Advertising Account Manager
Hobbies: Music, Shopping... i could lie and say i play sports but who would i really be lying to? TV... yes i actually admit it.. lots of my friends always say "yeah i really have no time for TV". i make time. Going to the movies and seeing pointless comedies to escape thought. and eating at fabulous restaurants...and my fabulous i mean cheap and fast like TGI fridays where the waiters are hot and the food is greasy.
Status: Single...yep..single..looking for my very own Ted Moseby ( see 'how i met your mother' )Mood: Generally happy. but extremely ready for adventure...
So the past 5 years of my life since graduating high school have been full of so many highs and lot of mind numbing lows. I finished high school with a very clear vision. It was going to be easy. I was going to have the " omg best summer ever" with my girls and then start uni. I would be finished in 2 years and i would become an event manager and organise lots of amazing celebrity parties. This went smoothly for the first 18 months and i was really enjoying myself. Then my dad got diagnosed with bowel cancer and life became real. Every day was filled with appointments and all of a sudden he was on the operating room table. Life is put into perspective when you come home from the hospital and accidently find a "goodbye my darling daughter" letter on the table that your mother was supposed to put away just incase. After dad started chemo, he fell into a deep depression that saw him house bound for 6 months. This rocked my world because to those who only knew this side, missed out severley. My father, before the treatments, was the most hilarious/kind/outgoing/loving man and father anyone could wish for. A laugh that was infectious and a general happiness that radiated into rooms he wasnt even standing in. After 8 months of sadness and illness...we finally came to the root of all evil. A sleeping pill called Stillnox that has now been proven to cause mental dissability. and its STILL on the market. The moment my father stopped taking those pills... he started coming back to us.
In the middle of all this, i finished my course and decided that at 19, i needed something that was going to change my life. I had heard of a program called Camp America and had always wanted to know more. Before i knew it, i applied, i was accepted and i was a few short months away from getting on a plane to a little place called Cleveland Ohio. All i knew about Cleveland was that Drew Carey lived there and it was the home of the rock n roll hall of fame. Leaving my mum was the hardest thing i have done in my whole life. At 2am the night before my plane was leaving, i officially had a panic attack and was almost taken to hospital. Not that im a particularly nervous kid, but this was the biggest thing i had ever done in my life. But as ive been learning over the past few years, im a lot stronger than i give myself credit for and i hopped on that plane with tears streaming down my face ready for the great unknown.......
my first memory of america was walking through this big doors and seeing a photo of George Bush... and this american family walked past me and the dad made his kids salute the photo. i chuckled to myself and wondered what i was getting myself in for. I had no idea who was picking me up or what i was walking into. I waited for over an hour and no one was there. I burst into tears and finally a huge black woman came and said " child why are you crying" and i explained where i was from and that they must have forgotten to pick me up. She laughed and told me i was in the wrong area and needed to go through the gates. HA. oops. of course i walked through and met someone who would end up being a massive part of my life. Sarah Holloway. But we'll talk more about her later.
the next 8 weeks were a complete blur. i met people from all over the world and made friends people only dream about. I always wonder what sort of person i would be like if i never got on that plane. I wonder if i would have gone back to university and finished my degree... or if i would have just chosen another adventure. Truth is, i think i would be a very bratty,spoilt, sheltered kid. I know i can be those things at times, but camp actually changed who i am, as cliche as that sounds. In life, all i want to do is laugh, dance, take photos, play in the mud and be surrounded by good quality people. Camp IS all of these things for me. http://www.campwise.org/ i ended up going for 3 years and have enough stories to write a book. maybe one day i will... best seller? probably not, but oh man it would include stories such as my first american kiss in the middle of a field in Ohio, my first joint which led to sleeping UNDER my bed cos my sheets were "creeping me out" falling in love with about 10 different israeli men, sneaking out and pretending i, myself was a camper, meeting girls who i truley believe i am soul mates with, making out on the top of the empire state building and making other choices that you would NEVER do if you werent in a foreign country. The last year for me was the best by far, no boy drama, no girl drama. it was 100% full of love and laughter. 2 of the worlds most important things. There arent really differnt "groups" at camp... but the girls i spent my time with are the people others WISH they knew. These girls are smart, beautiful, funny, kind, naughty, caring, confident and everything i want to be. They know who they are. I miss them every day. and i tell them how much i love them as much as i can. Just wish there wasnt so much space between us. England, America and Israel arent just around the corner...
As for my life here in Australia. Its a good one. im blessed. I have good friends that provide adventures on a saturday night and cuddles on the couch for greys on sunday nights. I have a great job with a Tourism Company called AAA Tourism where i sell advertising space in an accommodation magazine. Im a junior at the company, but i wont be for long if i have anything to do with it. Ive been there for nearly 2 years now and i am SO READY for more responsibility. My boss thinks im too young but im working my ass off for a promotion. They just annnounced that theyre looking for a team leader and im officially applying tomorrow. The girls i work with dont have the drive i do, they dont love sales and i think work for them is just something that fills the time between 9 and 5. And thats great for them, but i want more. I cannot WAIT to be successful. its a big word as success can mean SO many different things. For me, it does mean a few material things.....which i know is superficial but im okay with that. I want a convertable, i want my own expense account, i want to be able to take off to america whenever i have a few weeks off, i want to have clients that know i am the ONLY PR Consultant/Marketing Goddess they should talk to if they want their product to be successful. So im working on that.... The plan right now is to keep working, having fun and travel wherever possible...but January 2010.. im making a move. i dont know where or for what reason but its happening. I'll be 25 and on the move...
I moved out of home :) its weird. i miss my parents but my GOODNESS having my own apartment has changed the game completly. I live in a very trendy part of Melbourne. about 10 minutes from the middle of the city and a 5 minute walk to the best Bars/Restaurants and clubs in Melbourne. I come and go as i please and im just really enjoying my own space.
Having said all of this, i would give everything up to go to camp for the rest of my days. If only life could involve food fights and mud sliding every day hey?
xx
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