I’m stuck at the Atlanta airport for 12 hours. Evidently I can’t distinguish am’s from pm’s on Delta.com so I’m slated to spend $50 at McDonald’s for today’s nutrients.
I should have known this day would suck when the gracious TSA agent took my dead grandpa’s pocketknife and retorted “DO NOT ARGUE WITH ME SIR” after I asked to check the bag.
I should have also known this day would suck when I headed to the wrong concourse following a gate change notice, only to walk back where I started approximately 3 bajillion miles away.
A friend recently shared something with me: “Don’t worry today about something you’ll be over tomorrow.” Let’s try that.
Last May I finished school and didn’t know what to do with myself. With no great prospects I began freelancing and developed a crazy schedule. In July I almost broke working long days with Coca-Cola and listening to Justin Bieber on a 10-song soundtrack. One song was actually pretty awesome and I never caught the artist, which really bothered me.
Thirty gigs later, enter October. I was pursuing a project manager job with a healthcare IT company. It had everything: travel, perks, money, and room for growth. I spent copious amounts of time studying the company, courting the recruiter, and interviewing both over the phone and in-person. I thought I crushed it. And then I didn’t.
Fast-forward to November and I self-published a book. After the job hunt epic fail I figured this would leverage my few talents better than action verbs and bullet points.
Two weeks later I had a job offer in NYC at a tech startup. Now I a) run marketing and b) figure out what the hell that means.
Six months, two apartments, and an international business trip later I’m in a good spot to reflect. I just worked the same grueling gig with Coca-Cola on Memorial Day weekend in Manhattan, but instead of working to pay bills I worked to cover a quick getaway to Atlantic City. And then the song came back on.
Last week on the flight home to Atlanta I listened to the song and thought about all that’s changed. Little did I know during a long day in last summer’s scorching Georgia heat that a few months later I’d have my first pea coat, a book, new job, private equity, land ownership in the North Georgia mountains, a great diet and fitness regimen, and my whole life ahead of me.
I’m grateful for am’s and pm’s. They gave me 12 hours to write this post.