Picking a trail

Afternoon all! I started my morning late and had a bit of yogurt before heading out on my first commuting adventure. Boy was it tough. I wanted to avoid the freeway overpass necessary to get from my aunt's to my mom's so I used the Santa Ana River Trail. It was not a walk in the park.

There are bike lanes with a scary drop-off into the empty river at times.

I biked under roads, which meant lots of little climbs.

Too much open expanse of... concrete. Geez, Southern California... sigh.

But in the end, it got me here a bit exhausted.

I got a couple of things: organic PB with sea salt and English muffins.


I took a nap before lunch: spinach, Laughing Cow Swiss cheese, and salmon-filled tortilla.

Last night was also tough. I realized I've been here in California for a month and a half and have yet to find a job. While in North Carolina, a lot of my former classmates have found teaching jobs.

Not to brag, but I'm doing it, I was the best tutor and a great teacher. Kids love me. I love them and I do at least a B+ job on my off days. At my best, I'm unstoppable.

I knew I wouldn't get a teaching job right away because I have to take the CTEL, for which I still have to purchase study aids.

I've applied for numerous jobs, most in schools and some I found on craigslist. There are still a few left to apply to and the closing dates are coming up so I'm hoping to secure something.

I'm left wondering if I'm too picky about a job. I remember a line in "Eat, Love, Pray," where an Italian man scolds us Americans for wanting happiness in our jobs. We take life too seriously. Isn't it just good enough to get paid?

"Americans. You work too hard, you get burned out. You come home and spend the whole weekend in your pajamas in front of the T.V." - Luca Spaghetti

Well, I want to be mildly happy and part of that involves not being at a dead-end job. The job will have to lead to a career and involve some fulfilling challenges.

Even though I have my degree in the liberal arts and a teaching credential, I'd like to do more. I mentioned going back to school next year to start my prereqs to become an RD (registered dietitian). Yet I'm open to anything creative and fun. I just don't have the experience for a lot of jobs and entry level positions aren't so well-paying.

At this point, I'm looking at a job in a school, part-time, for about $15 an hour. If I find some other creative positions, I'll take those too.

I read Oh She Glow's "How to Create Career Happiness" this AM and decided to leave The Fat Girl's Guide to Life at home in lieu of The Girl's Guide to Kicking Your Career into Gear. They suggest a career plan, one similar to the lululemon one. I'll share once I'm done.

(image from goodreads)

All said and done, I need to get my butt off my bicycle(?) and make sure everyday is conducive to improvement in my life somehow.