A time to rebuild.
Sharpening the Sword
12/5/2009 9:22:18 PM - Los Angeles, California, United States
Going to my first LA Dodger's game with some of my good friends who live in LA.
I have now been back in the United States for a couple of months and during this time I have started a rebuilding process. I've found a new job, a new apartment and started a new life after this amazing trip of mine. Many people have asked me if it has been hard to get back into the swing of things after traveling for so long. Honestly, has it been hard? No, not in the slightest. Living a normal life in one place is a lot easier than some people might think. I've learned after traveling for so long that many people take for granted the benefits of having a place to call home and now that I finally have a place to call "home”, I'm very content.
When I got back to the United States my first order of business (after visiting with friends and family) was to find a job. Currently, here in the United States we are in the midst of one of worst recessions I have experienced in my entire life. Luckily for me being a software engineer, I am in a highly specialized field so I haven't had as much of a difficult time finding a new job as some people have. Within a short amount of time of starting my job search I found a job with a great company in Santa Monica, CA. When I say great company, I mean GREAT company. This place fucking rocks. Many of our clients are Fortune 500 companies, the benefits are amazing, the salary is exactly what I want and all of my supervisors are fucking rad. I am really happy to be working there. The best part is that the software we develop is pretty advanced and highly trafficked so I am getting some awesome experience.
Within a day of getting the job offer I was off looking for an apartment. I ended up moving into Hollywood and I now live right off the famous "Sunset Strip" which besides being a nice area, is full of happening clubs, bars and restaurants. I always makes it a point to live somewhere close to the action because the last thing I want to do is drive home intoxicated and living here, I can simply walk home (or take a cheap cab depending on how far out I go) after a night out in Hollywood.
I have a great place, I have a great job and everything has turned out exactly as I had always planned...and this slightly befuddles me. I had always planned to move to LA after I finished traveling and I had always wanted to live in the exact area that I am currently at. I was prepared to take a job in a different area of LA if it presented itself (and thus live somewhere else) however I got one in an area close to Hollywood (living far from your job in LA is a not a good idea thanks to the horrible traffic here). Everything has worked out EXACTLY as I had planned.
Then there is how things worked out for my big trip. I had always planned on traveling around the world and nothing was going to stop me. I never planned on working while I traveled though and because I was able to, not only did it give me the opportunity to travel for a longer period of time (and save money in the bank) but I also got valuable work experience. Not only did I get to go around the world, but I also got to visit plenty of other countries that I would have never gone to had it not been for the fact that I had a steady income.
Finally, there was my stint in Orange County, CA before I left on my big trip. I'd always wanted to live there and I did. I lived in an amazing area a block from the beach in Huntington Beach, promoted at one of the best clubs and worked for some amazing companies. A lot of people asked if I had moved out there "for work" and the answer was always "no". I moved out there because I wanted to and due to that I found work. Once again, I took a chance and everything worked out exactly as I had planned it to.
This chain of fortuitous events makes me wonder. How have I been able to accomplish all of my goals exactly as I have planned? I wanted to move to Orange County and I did and in the process got a couple fantastic jobs and had an amazing time promoting clubs and living a block from the beach. After that I planned to travel around the world , and I did, and even got to travel to many countries I'd never planned to thanks to the fact that I was able to work while the whole time getting invaluable work experience. Finally, I then moved to LA and got a place in an area I had always wanted to live in as well as a fantastic job.
Not only have I accomplished these goals, but I've gone beyond the benchmarks that I had originally planned. How have I done this? Am I blessed? Is it all coincidence? Am I just that lucky? I don't know. I definitely don't come from "money" (I work for everything I have) so that explanation is out the door. Truth is, I've always had my goals mapped out and nothing short of a life changing event was going to stop me from reaching them and all I can surmise is that this frame of mind is the base from what I have been able to spring forward to accomplish them. Whatever the case, I am eternally grateful for how things have turned out in my life.
Now here I am writing about my experience thus far in Los Angeles from my own apartment in Hollywood. I have to say that it is nice to finally have my own place and to no longer be living out of a backpack. I still haven't really explored the area because even though I am making some decent money and had some sizable savings when I got back, I racked up a bit of debt when I moved because I had to start from square one having to buy everything and anything you would need at a new place. Once I have my finances in order though I plan to explore my area and experience everything that Los Angeles has to offer.
I still haven't had a chance to really think about the past couple years and all the traveling that I have done. Everything moved so fast with looking for a new job, finding a new job, moving into a new apartment and getting acclimated to the area that I haven't really had a chance to sit down and simply reflect on my travels. Life seems to never slow down for me. As soon as I get some time though (soon) I will make it a point to go through my old pictures and videos and consider this large trip of mine and how it has affected me, mentally, physically and spiritually and you can bet that when I do, I will write about it.
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