Working For My Future

I am addicted to working. Not in a workaholic way, but in an "I hate to be sitting at home" way. I really do. I like to go out and do things, but I can't go out and do things when I don't have any money. Some people might say that you can still go and do things on a budget, and others might say that I make more than enough money to be able to do things.

The truth is, I do make more than enough money...if I lived anywhere other than sunny Southern California; if I didn't pay for college myself; if I didn't pay for my wedding myself. I'm okay with doing all of those. Everything I've paid for (besides when I mess up and get tickets), is an investment for my future. I might not be seeing any immediate financial return (like if I made a literal investment) but, these are all emotional investments.

I'm happy to have made them. I'm also happy to work. I am so lucky that I have so many opportunities to fund my dreams and so many opportunities to network and socialize with people.

I've been thinking about all of this because my work schedule is a little iffy after this week. I start back at schools next week, but my schedule didn't work out exactly as we had planned so I only am teaching two days a week. The other days I will be continuing work on my company's website database that we've been building all summer.

I believe I get to work from home those other days. Not having to drive 100 miles a day in traffic is exciting. What's even more exciting is that I can work at restaurants the other days. I bring up the topic of work (again, for the millionth time) because I was approached yesterday with two amazing opportunities.

One is through the grapevine - that Buffalo Wild Wings wants me back. Working as a server is amazing because I can work a 3 hour shift and make $100. I vote yes. At the same time, I love working at my Mexican restaurant and I have the potential to make more money there in the long run. Currently, I'm a host because there are no serving positions open. We're a small company. I'm thinking of working 2 days a week at Buffalo Wild Wings, 2-3 days at Mi Casa, 2 school days and the work from home stuff. I probably will not have a full day off of work for the next few months, unless I request it off.

Working this hard is important to me. Iman and I want to pay off our debt and be able to go on a few trips + buy a house in the next few years. I'm not sure when I will get pregnant, so I believe that now is the time to work like crazy. I only worked one job for the past year because planning a wedding is like working another job.

My other opportunity is going to be sort of cryptic because I believe I've found another calling of mine. I don't want to give too many details before I work out the nitty gritty, but I've figured out something that I am going to market through what I've learned in blogging. This idea comes up, because I have been given the opportunity to work with a teenager to start her blog. I have always worked with older bloggers - out of high school, and now I'm thinking why not work with younger kids? I do teach blogging in my schools, after all.

I am so excited. I also want to thank so many of my blog friends and real life friends for constantly motivating me to continue this little blog and to grow. I started it with such a big goal in mind and no idea how to reach that goal, and I now see so many doors opening up to me. Most notably, thank you to: My Papa Perry for paying for my webhosting & always fixing things for me (or getting your coworkers to fix them), my Iman for your endless support, Lauren and Krystal for reading my blog religiously because you guys love me (I get so excited whenever you say, "Oh yeah I saw on your blog today.."), AJ for being so excited about my stats and being filled with ideas...you seriously are THE BEST, Paulina and Jess for being the best blog besties this girl could ever ask for, Brittany and Cassi for your beautiful ideas to change the world and do good (and asking me questions so that I feel like I know what I'm doing), my other blog friends who constantly support me, my momma and bubsy for always wearing your warrior queen bracelets and doing whatever you can for me, Bryan for suggesting everyone wear the WQ bracelets at the wedding, Jimi for not batting an eyelid at the weird stuff I do to blog, the rest of my supportive family and friends, aaaand my amazing readers!! You all make me so happy and keep my heart happy and motivated to keep working on this little project of mine.

aand, here's a fun giveaway!! :) 

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Proof that I'm a Workaholic

Guys,

I'm not joking when I say I've worked a lot of jobs. I seriously mean A LOT. Like, I haven't even worked for 10 years and I've had 17 jobs and internships.

I am sort of one of those workaholics. The first step is admitting it right?

For example, my new fantastic, amazing, wonderful job [career], will earn me more than enough to pay my bills and save for the wedding. It will exhaust me enough that I should only work one job. But I can't stop! It's only 4 days a week...that means there are 3 days off. 3 DAYS off. What am I going to do with my time?

Serve at bdubs of course. Just sometimes, but still. Maybe it is because I have a difficult time putting my two weeks in or quitting. I just love my coworkers and customers wherever I work.

So here's a breakdown of my jobs. With pictures of little ol me.

My very first day of work ever. 

The Merv Lounge (6/2005-12/2007)
My best friend and I interviewed at Mervyn's a week before I turned 16. We were both hired and I spent a glorious summer working 32 hour weeks and having money. Then school started and I still sort of worked all the way until spring break. I took a few months off, went back for the summer, took senior year off, went back for the summer. I only quit after Xmas break of Freshman year of college because I didn't know any of the managers and they treated me like I had no idea what I was doing when I'd worked there for 2.5 years already. JEEZ. Fun Fact: I still think Mervyns owns my soul though, they send me paychecks randomly, even after they went bankrupt.

We pied people on their last day at The Faculty Club

The Faculty Club (11/2007-4/2008)
My first serving job!! My roommate and I got hired and it was so much fun. I worked lunch shifts serving teachers [and spilling a tray full of water on one] and some afternoon and nights for events. I loved working Football Saturday. We didn't get tips though, which made me work even harder for tips when I started at Bdubs. Fun Fact: While ill with 4 different infections,(sinus, bronchitis, flu, pneumonia) my manager called and yelled at me for not being at work. I trudged through the snow with a doctor's note and puked in front of some prospective students.

Pottery Barn (6/2008-4/2009)
Summer 2008 two of my [favorite] Mervyn's managers were now running a Pottery Barn department and I made my way over there. What a glorious summer! In the fall, I transferred to the store in Ohio, but then they ran out of hours so I went looking elsewhere... Fun Fact: To be honest, I may also still be an employee of my old Pottery Barn, I never put in my two weeks or was fired or discharged or anything.

Campfire Kids (9/2008-1/2009)
Daycare! Oh how I loved being a daycare aid. I worked 3 hours every morning until I no longer had a car to drive and my house caught on fire. Fun fact: I once growled at a kid and I spent a lot of my time doing the Mambo dance.

Columbus Nanny (9/2008-1/2009)
This was so much fun! I watched 2 little boys and 1 little girl a couple of nights a week. The mom was only a year or two older than me and the family was super awesome.


Fruitti Yogurt (4/2009-10/2009)
When I moved back to Cali I was desperate and found this job at a frozen yogurt shop. I got the slow shift and was a mini-manager...but made minimum wage. Oh, and the owners yelled at me in Korean once, told me I had to stand at the counter or clean constantly...I went crazy. 1030-230 everyday bored because everyone was at work or school. Fun Fact: This was the summer that my birth control made me have over 10 panic attacks a day. Awesome when you're literally the ONLY person in a building for 6 hours.

California Teriyaki Grill (5/2009-7/2009)
The yogurt people opened this restaurant while I worked for them so I worked some shifts over here until I realized working 10:30am-9:30pm on my feet with no lunch break was torture.

I liked to Spray Tan back in the day...this is the night the Lakers Won the Playoffs

Buffalo Wild Wings (10/2009-7/2010, 1/2012-present)
I love this place. So much so that I work here still. Fun Fact: I still have regulars from when I worked here originally and I am often referred to as Miss Buffalo. I spend too much time here.

Live Magazine (11/2009-1/2010)
I interned [illegally, I think] for this music magazine. It was a lot of fun for the first few weeks until I realized I was mostly going to be writing CD reviews.

Just chillin with some guys from Mayday Parade

Hollywood Music Magazine (1/2010-present)
Another job I currently have! I don't get paid though...unless you count free concert tickets as payment. Which I do. Fun Fact: I love going backstage at Warped Tour and have interviewed many of my favorite bands.

Mi Casa (1/2010-10/2010)
My favorite restaurant hired me as their salsa girl!! Basically I got to go to different Whole Foods and grocery stores and have people taste their salsa. The best part about this job was that I could work literally anywhere - even when I was on vacation in San Diego, or looking for a job up in LA.

This is Remington. Sometimes he visited me at work 

Lazy Dog Cafe (8/2010-6/2012)
I worked here for 2 years and made some of the best friends. We were seriously a little family - I even lived with coworkers! I don't think I could have survived my years living up in LA without this family. Fun Fact: A coworker I knew for only a month, let me live with her family for a month when my best friend's dad sold the house we were living in and gave us 10 days to move.

L.A. Parent (8/2011-12/2011)
The only internship that actually counted - I got school credit for it - and I absolutely loved the women I worked with. I wrote a big feature in the magazine about technology in the classroom...funny that that is what I do now.

Dodgeball

Planet Bravo (6/2012-8/2012, 10/2013-present)
Summer camp counselor!! This was probably the best summer of my life. I taught young children how to make video games etc....Fun Fact: This is the company I currently work for as a computer teacher!!!

The best way to communicate at work

Rusnak BMW (9/2012-1/2013)
Within just a few short months, I went from weekend receptionist/file clerk with 12 hours a week to Service Receptionist and assistant to the Service Manager with just under 50 hours a week in a couple of months. I still miss this place, but we had to move home. Fun Fact: I picked out a watch we gave to David Boreanaz and also said "How do I spell Sellack" to Tom Sellack. Also, Rico from Hannah Montana came in a lot.

Kymberly Marciano Photography (9/2012-1/2013, 8/2013-10/2013)
I learned so much doing social media for this child fashion photographer. I still work with her when I have the chance. Fun Fact: She did the cutest Norman Rockwell photoshoot last year.

La Habra Collision Center (4/2013-10/2013)
I love cars and I love this company. I was so sad to leave them last week, but they are so supportive in my following of my dreams. Fun Fact: I saw at least 3 car accidents in front of our auto body shop while I was working.


So as you can tell, I worked more than one job at once...sometimes like 4 at a time. But still!!


How many jobs have you had? Which was your favorite? 




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