Bring a lunch or go out on the town?

One of the big questions you face when starting a job is deciding whether or not you are going to pack a lunch and bring it to work or go out with co-workers each day. Deciding this beforehand will help you to plan grocery shopping and of course, that ever important spending account. There are some people you will find that eat out everyday, some just a few days a week or others, not at all, but it is a personal preference. Hopefully in your office you can find people who do both so that you always have someone to take a break with and eat your lunch. Some offices even have little parks or terraces right outside that can be utilized on a nice day.

Personally, I prefer to bring my lunch for a few reasons. Number one, going out for lunch costs between $6-$12. To do that every day would mean an extra $30-60 per week which doesn't really make sense considering that I can do all of my grocery shopping for all meals during the week for about $50. Also, though Chipotle, Panera, Subway and the like are a treat, eating out is not always the healthiest option. I find that I pack more sensible meals, like fruit, vegetables and generally smaller portions when I do it myself. This way, I know what I'm eating.

On the other hand, staying around the office for lunch also means that you miss out on the socializing the goes on if most other people go out. I know at my job last summer only myself and one of my co-workers brought our lunches, so we would eat together or at our desks while everyone else went out or brought something back. Since they were from out of town, but working on our project, they didn't have the luxury of a kitchen, but would always wonder why we never came out to lunch. So, believe it or not, lunchtime can be a win/lose situation. I eventually compromised and would bring my lunch Monday through Thursday and then go out to lunch on Friday as a treat to myself for a good week. But, it's up to you!

Where did all my single friends go?

I remember when we all started college and everyone was single, just looking to have a good time. After all, we were too young to be in serious relationships when we still had four years of college ahead of us. Well, times are a changin'. As I look around at most of my friends, even the ones you NEVER expected to have a boyfriend or girlfriend, are in serious relationships. I guess we are getting to that age when people are starting to think about (gasp) the M-word (marriage). Moving to a new city where there are a lot of young people, this makes me a little nervous.

I want to be able to go out with my other single friends and you know, meet people. However, what if most other people are also in relationships like my friends are. This is not good. As I check out my Facebook account, I swear that in the last week, at least five of my friends went from being "single" to "in a relationship". And of course, if it's on Facebook, then it's legit. However, most of them graduated at least a year ago and they are in relationships with people I've never seen before, which makes me think that they met them in the new city they live in. This gives me hope. I could probably analyze silly situations like this all day long but it really will do me no good. Luckily one of my apartment mates is also single (like me).

New Chapter

I'm about to start a new chapter in my life, but why am I so sad? I know once I get to D.C. I will be so excited to see all of my friends that have also moved there to start their careers. And I will be excited to see my roommates, who are two of my best friends. And I will be excited to start my new job and be making money. So why am I trying to push off leaving Massachusetts as long as possible even though I really don't have anything to do here?

I have come to the conclusion that there are several reasons why I am sad. One, I am leaving my home indefinitely. My family is here and as much as a I fight with them at times, I am going to miss them. Two, my last summer ever, or at least as far into the future as I can imagine, is over. This was my last summer of freedom and it was amazing. I got to do something I have always wanted to do and reconnected with old friends. But as soon as that happened, it's time to pack up and leave again. Three, I am scared of what the future holds. It sounds pretty silly that you can be scared at age 22 but I am. Who knows if I will like D.C. or my new job. Like all things, I guess we will just have to see.

Measurements

I'll tell you this much, a tape measure is essential when moving in to a new apartment. My roommates and I have already changed our furniture plans for the simple fact that some things won't fit or will just fit very awkwardly. The last thing that we want is for our first apartment to be an ugly one. If at all possible, you should try to see the apartment before even signing the lease. Much to our surprise, we have an ugly blue/gray carpet instead of the beige one that we thought we were getting. But, there isn't much we can do about that now.

Make sure you take the dimensions yourself because usually the floor plans make the place look a lot bigger than it actually is. I'm not really sure how they get away with that, but they do. For example, my bedroom can probably fit a bed...and that's all. Problems arise when you have furniture already moved from one city to another and then have no place to put it! So, plan accordingly so you don't end up wasting money.

Seattle

Upon accepting my job offer last fall, I wanted to have a bit of a say in what project I get put on when I start in September. The clients my firm works on are all over the country and the globe for that matter, so there is a lot to choose from. I figure that traveling when I'm young could be a really great experience so I have made it my goal to show interest in projects that can utilize my skills and would also involve seeing new places.

Considering that I interned at the firm last summer, I already know many people who work there that were on my project. Getting in touch with them is going to be crucial in getting my foot in the door on a good project. I have also heard about a relatively new project that is in Seattle. Wow, that's far away. I've never been there, so living out there for a few months could be a fun time. Either way, explore your options. Talk to whoever your boss will be and express your interests to them. It could mean the difference between an extremely boring assignment and an exotic vacation.

Eliminate Duplicates

Today I went with my mom to our townhouse that we usually rent out. It is currently vacant and my mom has put all of the stuff she has gotten for my apartment all set up there, it's pretty cute. However, upon arriving, I realized how many extra things my roommates are going to have. I am sure that all of their parents have gotten them the essentials, like kitchen supplies, shower curtains, etc. My mom is no different. I think I have about 4 sets of serving utensils and 8 frying pans.

In order to eliminate these situations, make sure you talk to your roommates! Being at a sleepover camp all summer hindered my ability to stay in contact with them as we planned our move and now we are paying for it. Literally. I am still going to bring all of the stuff my mom so graciously bought for me, but I hope we have someplace to put it! Each roommate should be in charge of bringing certain things, it makes life so much easier.

Still Crying Like a Baby at Age 22

So the summer camp I was working at ended yesterday. The goodbyes were emotional, as the students have become so close over the past six weeks and the proctors so attached to them. Of course, playing the saddest songs ever doesn't help either. I remember being a student at the camp seven years ago and how upset I was to have to leave. I cried. A lot.

However, this year was no different. I was no less emotional than I was then. Realizing that you are closing a chapter of your life and starting a new one is one of the saddest parts of moving on. After becoming so close with co-workers and kids, knowing that I will be sitting in an office in less than a month is depressing. On Monday morning I will wake up expecting the kids to be returning so we can continue on with Week 7, but there is no Week 7. It's over.

Maturity

Though I am in my twenties, 22 to be exact, I still feel immature. I am known for my lack of common sense (sometimes) and clueless antics. This makes me nervous to enter the office environment, even though I have had internships that have gone quite smoothly.

I think I'm going to concentrate on sounding more intelligent and well-read. Or something like that. If I can at least be knowledgeable about everyday occurences in the news, that will help. Being able to hold an intelligent conversation will save you some embarrassment.

Check out this website if you need some help sounding smart.

M.I.A.

I first must apologize for being M.I.A. for over a week. Preparing for the big move while finishing up my summer camp was a bit hectic. Now that I am at home, I am too exhausted to do anything and it's making me nervous that this is what life is going to be like once a start work. Are things going to be hectic or am I going to be bored?

One of the biggest fears people have about a job is that they are not going to like the actual day to day tasks. Personally, I just don't like being bored. Some consulting firms have projects that come in waves. They do not necessarily always have something for you to be working on, so sometimes you just need to bear with it. Don't be too quick to judge a job or quit (that is way too drastic) because the first few months or even first few years, you are at the bottom of the totem pole. You won't necessarily immediately love it, but give it a chance and always keep a positive attitude.