A New Beginning, and the Close of a Chapter

This past week was a whirlwind week for me. It started out innocently enough, as the project I've been working on for the past year continued to wind down. The hours were getting shorter, and we didn't really have all that much to do. I knew I had a few busy days scheduled in New York City, but I was looking forward to the change. Little did I know the chance that I'd go through by the end of the week.

I entered work on Tuesday expecting just another day. By 3:00 PM, I found out the work at my current client was done, and that I wouldn't be heading back there soon, or possibly ever again. I'd be starting a new project on Monday. Just like that, total upheaval.

This isn't to say that this isn't a welcomed change for me. In fact, I'm extremely excited about the new opportunity. I'm going to be working for on a project that is much more entrepreneurial in nature, is really exciting work, and will give me the opportunity to work in Philly and get to network with some of my friends in the office. Basically, everything I was asking for over the past year. However, as the news began to sink in, I couldn't help but feel a sort of sadness, an emptiness, now that I was no longer going to be working at the client. This may sound a little weird to all of you considering how much I've complained about the things I didn't like about this client: the long hours, the mundane nature of the work, the lack of work/life balance, the often unreasonable client demands, etc. With that being said, the one thing I never complained about, and the one thing that I absolutely loved about this client was the people. Let's start off with the people at the client site. They were extremely helpful, always patient, and never gave me a hard time, even when I was bothering them for information on a consistent basis. Some of the people I would consider friends, and we shared some great conversations over the past year where I learned about their families, their interests, and their passions. It was great getting to know them over the past 12+ months, and I hope to maintain my relationships with them into the future.

The other person who made this project bearable on its worst days, and fun on its best days, was my manager, Mark. Before this project started, Mark would have been just another anonymous face in the world who I never would have known. Today, I would consider Mark one of my best friends, a trusted confidant, and someone who I shared everything with over the past year. It's amazing how well you get to know someone when you spend 10-12 hours a day with them in a small office, especially when it's only the 2 of you for 8 months. I can honestly say that Mark knows more about me than just about anyone. That's the nature of the beast when you spend that much time together. I've often thought about how this project would have went for me if someone else were the manager, especially someone who I didn't get along with. Needless to say, I would have been absolutely miserable for a year, and I probably wouldn't be employed by my firm anymore, since I would have performed terribly and gotten canned, or been so miserable that I would have quit as soon as my signing bonus vested. Luckily, I never had to worry about that, and Mark made the project worthwhile and helped me get through those long days. I sincerely hope he feels the same way about my contributions as well.

It's so bizarre to think about how random events in your life can have such a huge impact. There are so many that have occurred during my 23 years, and I am thankful that most of them have been for the best. This project certainly was one of them. It could have been an abomination, it could have been devastating. Instead, I emerged a better person with more knowledge, and a sense of what I need to do to accomplish my goals.

My next project is going to present with a slew of new challenges that I will need to overcome. I can't count on the client being nearly as accommodating as my last client. I can't count on my manager supporting me as much as my last project. I can't take for granted the knowledge that I accumulated on my last project. However, I can move forward with the confidence that if one project went well, so can another. Let's hope that in 6 months, the expected duration of the project (and I use the term "expected" lightly), I can write another post with a positive tone. I'm looking forward to the future, but will always fondly remember the past...well at least the good parts.

- Kaps

Song of the Day: Sponge - Wax Ecstatic

Must See TV

Last night I was introduced to one of the finest new shows on television. It's probably not going to win any Oscars nor will it be considered one of the finest shows on television. In fact, I'm pretty sure the show won't make it past one season. However, for sheer entertainment value, it's near the top of the list in my book. The show that I'm talking about? Jersey Shore.

For those of you who don't know, Jersey Shore is a new MTV show in the mold of "The Real World" that puts 8 "guidos" and "guidettes" together in a house in Seaside Heights, New Jersey for one magical summer. "The Real World" may have entertainment value for the drama that ensues, but it's taken to a whole new level when you introduce guidos into the mix. Just to clarify, "guidos" are the fine segment of our society who are also known as "douche bags," "meatheads," "New York assholes," and basically are the guys who were the topic of the hit YouTube video "My New Haircut." (If you've never seen it, you need to go watch it right now.) The guys on the show are your typical guidos: blowout haircut, huge muscles, lots of tats, talk funny, and are downright obnoxious and self-absorbed. The "guidettes," a term that I never knew existed before watching the show, are total whores with fake tans, fake boobs, bad attitudes, and a predisposition to starting drama.

Are you getting the picture? When you put these 8 people together in one house, the shenanigans that ensure are downright hilarious. There are fights, people get arrested, and enough dumb, inexplicable comments are thrown around that you could write a book about them all. A special shout out goes to Mike "The Situation" who is so self-absorbed and full of himself he makes the other guidos look like normal people. I HIGHLY recommend that you take some time out of your Thursday at 10 PM to watch Jersey Shore on MTV. You won't regret it. I promise.

Thank you Kanad for the recommendation.

- Kaps

Song of the Day: Candlebox - Far Behind