I've really noticed lately that a lot of people are trying to give me unsolicited weight loss advice. Even complete strangers have taken to approaching me with a story of "this guy" they know that lost a bunch of weight on some pill or shake or doing some obscure exercise people in some far off country did hundreds of years ago. I appreciate the sentiment, I really do, but at this point in my life, I know what I should be doing. I know all kinds of different techniques to apply to it.
I just don't do it.
Don't get me wrong, I would love to drop some weight. I NEED to drop some weight, but, up until recently, it has been exceedingly difficult, mainly due to my complete lack of energy, and, therefore, care. Yes. I'm using my sleep apnea as an excuse.
That's not even really all of it, though. I've been kind of analyzing my approach to eating. To most people, food is viewed as fuel. I don't really approach it that way. To me food is comfort. Food gives me something to enjoy and experience.
Even moreso, its an experience I control. In this aspect, food is my drug.
I am not a person of exceeding confidence. I have very little self worth and I constantly think of myself as a failure at the whims of the world of failure I've created. This isn't a totally persistent feeling, but its there, and it knows how to rear its ugly head. When this happens, when I feel like I'm losing control, I get hungry. Its not even a hunger of need, or a desire to be satiated. Its a hunger born out of a desire to control something. So I eat, and I get pleasure from that eating, so I eat the things that give me the most pleasure, and those are never good things.
Its not that I cognitively eat to feel a sense of control. I eat because I think I'm hungry. Only later do I realize what I did, especially when I have a stomach ache because I ate when I wasn't really hungry.
This is a behavior I'm working on, but its going to take time before I nip it in the bud, especially since I don't notice myself doing it all the time. I'm not asking anyone to fix it for me, either. I'm just putting my point of view out there so maybe some people can consider it.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Monday, May 6, 2013
1 Year Later
I just went back and read my first post. Its hard to believe that it has been just over a year now, since I left for this dismal place. A lot has happened, and, yet, nothing has happened. Its weird.
I did find work. It isn't what I thought I would be doing, and it certainly doesn't pay anywhere near what I wanted to get paid, but its something better than I had, and its better than what I can find right now. I'm working in a man camp, currently as a kitchen worker, but that job title could change at the drop of a hat, and has. I make $10 an hour, which is half of what I thought I would be making. I work 85 hours per week, which is about what I thought I would be working, and its 6 weeks on, 2 weeks off, which is also something I expected. Yes, those 6 weeks are 7 days a week. Yes, it can get very rough.
I have improved my finances a bit in the last year. One credit card is paid completely off, and the other is getting close. One student loan is current, another is within striking distance of being eliminated, but the 3rd one is still past due. I really need to reel in the spending on ancillary crap, and I slowly am, but I have quite a bit of room to go.
I did end up with health insurance, which has been the biggest victory of this entire adventure. I finally got officially diagnosed with Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea. I was prescribed a BiPAP (Bi-level positive air pressure) machine to treat it, which has given me some amazing nights of sleep, and has virtually eliminated my daytime sleepiness. I don't fall asleep constantly and I have more energy. I've even lost some weight!
Mentally, I'm still kind of iffy. I still lack a lot of self-worth. I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that I think I have depression. I'm going to look into getting that checked on my next break, I think. Its hard to explain via a blog post, but given the research I've done, I'm pretty sure this is the case.
Overall I'm not entirely happy with my job. It is nothing like I expected it to be and I work entirely too hard for the little I take home. Not that I'm afraid of hard work, but for how crappy I feel at the end of 6 weeks, it almost seems not worth it. I'm really growing weary of the long drives and the wear and tear on my car, but I can't justify spending half a paycheck on a round trip plane ticket.
I AM looking for work in Illinois, but its been pretty slow going. I'm not in a rush, since I do have a job with benefits, but if the right thing comes along, I may just have to pounce on it.
Overall I guess I'm in better shape than I was a year ago. Here's to hoping the next year leaves me a bit better off again.
I did find work. It isn't what I thought I would be doing, and it certainly doesn't pay anywhere near what I wanted to get paid, but its something better than I had, and its better than what I can find right now. I'm working in a man camp, currently as a kitchen worker, but that job title could change at the drop of a hat, and has. I make $10 an hour, which is half of what I thought I would be making. I work 85 hours per week, which is about what I thought I would be working, and its 6 weeks on, 2 weeks off, which is also something I expected. Yes, those 6 weeks are 7 days a week. Yes, it can get very rough.
I have improved my finances a bit in the last year. One credit card is paid completely off, and the other is getting close. One student loan is current, another is within striking distance of being eliminated, but the 3rd one is still past due. I really need to reel in the spending on ancillary crap, and I slowly am, but I have quite a bit of room to go.
I did end up with health insurance, which has been the biggest victory of this entire adventure. I finally got officially diagnosed with Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea. I was prescribed a BiPAP (Bi-level positive air pressure) machine to treat it, which has given me some amazing nights of sleep, and has virtually eliminated my daytime sleepiness. I don't fall asleep constantly and I have more energy. I've even lost some weight!
Mentally, I'm still kind of iffy. I still lack a lot of self-worth. I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that I think I have depression. I'm going to look into getting that checked on my next break, I think. Its hard to explain via a blog post, but given the research I've done, I'm pretty sure this is the case.
Overall I'm not entirely happy with my job. It is nothing like I expected it to be and I work entirely too hard for the little I take home. Not that I'm afraid of hard work, but for how crappy I feel at the end of 6 weeks, it almost seems not worth it. I'm really growing weary of the long drives and the wear and tear on my car, but I can't justify spending half a paycheck on a round trip plane ticket.
I AM looking for work in Illinois, but its been pretty slow going. I'm not in a rush, since I do have a job with benefits, but if the right thing comes along, I may just have to pounce on it.
Overall I guess I'm in better shape than I was a year ago. Here's to hoping the next year leaves me a bit better off again.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Its Been Awhile...
I'm a slave to my emotions.
Its a curse, really. I can't help but to feel the way I do and sometimes it really gets to me.
I'm back in North Dakota for another 6-week trip, and this whole thing is not what I expected it to be. I was hoping for a job that I would be able to tolerate, in a friendly environment, making good money. Ok, well, originally I wanted a tough job in the Oil Fields, but when it became obvious that wasn't going to happen, I really wanted this job I have now. I never expected to be passed around as much as I have been, from department to department, facility to facility. Every time I change I meet new people and have to learn a new job, so it can be kind of stressful. But I'm not above that. Its a job, and jobs aren't meant to be easy.
What I didn't count on was how lonely I would feel. Every time I come back from my 2 week break I feel awful. I get pretty depressed and homesick. That's the part I can't control. If I had my way I would just show up, do my 6 weeks and that would be it, but for the first week or so I am miserable. It gets worse every trip, too.
My work environment kind of sucks, too. I mean, yes, it could be much worse, I will be the first to admit that. But these people I work for are clueless. Management changes things just for the sake of changing them, with no rhyme or reason. There is an entire culture of secrecy, where management won't tell the workers what is going on, and we are usually left to guess what is happening even after it already happened. Personally, I have been transferred to a new facility twice, and within those facilities, I have not done the same job for more than 2 weeks. They even switched me to nights and gave me 9 hours notice. None of these transfers and changes were asked for. They didn't ask what I wanted, and I did not ask for them, they were just given to me.
When you add those 2 factors, plus working 12 hours a day EVERY single day, and the fact that there is nothing to do to blow off steam, you get a very stressed out Josh. I'm simply tired of being here. The big thing keeping me here is my medical insurance, and the fact that I have to have a job to support myself. I'm currently trying to find a job in IL, but its slow going.
I know. I'm being a wuss. Things could be much worse, and at least I have a job. Like I said, if I could just stop feeling like this, I would, but this is how I feel and I have to deal with it
Part of me wonders how much of this feeling is me being depressed over my current position in life. I have no real direction. Its really obvious to me as I look for a job and I don't qualify for a lot of them because I didn't finish college and I don't have a marketable skill. I don't want to be stuck working low paying jobs for the rest of my life, but I don't know what to do. Going back to school right now really isn't an option because of student loan debt.
But this is where I am, and this is what I have to deal with. I'll get through it, I'll just whine and complain the whole way, because that seems to be who I am right now. Its my way of dealing with it, I guess. I'm really thankful for all my friends that listen to my crap. It really does help me.
That's pretty much it. I'm going to try to update this more often. I know a lot of people have beeitn asking me to do that. It really tough to get the motivation to write a post after working all day. Usually all I want to do is have dinner and go to bed, but I will try.
Until next time...
I'm back in North Dakota for another 6-week trip, and this whole thing is not what I expected it to be. I was hoping for a job that I would be able to tolerate, in a friendly environment, making good money. Ok, well, originally I wanted a tough job in the Oil Fields, but when it became obvious that wasn't going to happen, I really wanted this job I have now. I never expected to be passed around as much as I have been, from department to department, facility to facility. Every time I change I meet new people and have to learn a new job, so it can be kind of stressful. But I'm not above that. Its a job, and jobs aren't meant to be easy.
What I didn't count on was how lonely I would feel. Every time I come back from my 2 week break I feel awful. I get pretty depressed and homesick. That's the part I can't control. If I had my way I would just show up, do my 6 weeks and that would be it, but for the first week or so I am miserable. It gets worse every trip, too.
My work environment kind of sucks, too. I mean, yes, it could be much worse, I will be the first to admit that. But these people I work for are clueless. Management changes things just for the sake of changing them, with no rhyme or reason. There is an entire culture of secrecy, where management won't tell the workers what is going on, and we are usually left to guess what is happening even after it already happened. Personally, I have been transferred to a new facility twice, and within those facilities, I have not done the same job for more than 2 weeks. They even switched me to nights and gave me 9 hours notice. None of these transfers and changes were asked for. They didn't ask what I wanted, and I did not ask for them, they were just given to me.
When you add those 2 factors, plus working 12 hours a day EVERY single day, and the fact that there is nothing to do to blow off steam, you get a very stressed out Josh. I'm simply tired of being here. The big thing keeping me here is my medical insurance, and the fact that I have to have a job to support myself. I'm currently trying to find a job in IL, but its slow going.
I know. I'm being a wuss. Things could be much worse, and at least I have a job. Like I said, if I could just stop feeling like this, I would, but this is how I feel and I have to deal with it
Part of me wonders how much of this feeling is me being depressed over my current position in life. I have no real direction. Its really obvious to me as I look for a job and I don't qualify for a lot of them because I didn't finish college and I don't have a marketable skill. I don't want to be stuck working low paying jobs for the rest of my life, but I don't know what to do. Going back to school right now really isn't an option because of student loan debt.
But this is where I am, and this is what I have to deal with. I'll get through it, I'll just whine and complain the whole way, because that seems to be who I am right now. Its my way of dealing with it, I guess. I'm really thankful for all my friends that listen to my crap. It really does help me.
That's pretty much it. I'm going to try to update this more often. I know a lot of people have beeitn asking me to do that. It really tough to get the motivation to write a post after working all day. Usually all I want to do is have dinner and go to bed, but I will try.
Until next time...
Friday, August 24, 2012
The First Real Break
I'm sitting here in my parent's garage, on my first break away from North Dakota since I got a job. I'm telling you, I really needed it. I need a physical and mental reset. My body hurts, my mind is sore, and I've got the shortest fuse I've ever had. I've never dealt with such disorganization and childish "adults" in my life, but the pay is nice, so I'll stick around for awhile.
This break is kind of surreal for me. Its my first real victory lap in a long time. finally things are going my way. But it kind of feels bittersweet, because everything is changing drastically. My parents sold the house and are moving to Florida in 3 days. My last real safety net here is leaving. I'll always have safety nets, but geographically, now, the only thing letting me stay in Illinois is myself. Its sad, at 28 years old, but this is the first time I've had to balance my livelihood on my own. I'm kinda scared.
North Dakota sucks. I'm just going to flat out say it. And I'm glad it sucks, because there will be no emotion keeping me there when I decide to finally leave, however long that takes. I'm tired of the complete chaos at work, the constant threats, and the stress of not knowing whats going to happen day in and day out. I'm tired of being tired, my legs hurting, and my feet being absolutely on fire. In understand that there is a such thing as hard work, and whatnot, but 51 days with no break wears on one.
But, I did this to myself. I got into debt foolishly and I'm working my way out of it. I did meet my goal for the first trip, and paid off my credit cards. Now I need to start saving so I can pay off loans. It looks like a big mountain to climb, but when I look back only 8 weeks, I have already come a long way.
If all goes well, I'm only 4 weeks of work away from getting medical insurance. As soon as that card is in my hand, I'm making appointments and I'm getting my sleep fixed. I need that more than anything. That is my number one goal right now. Get insurance and save money. That's it.
Once I can focus on things better and sleep better, I can move up from where I am. Once I get out of debt, I won't be held down in my life decisions by the 10 ton elephant I have to lug around. I'm on my way, I just need to keep the momentum up.
This break is kind of surreal for me. Its my first real victory lap in a long time. finally things are going my way. But it kind of feels bittersweet, because everything is changing drastically. My parents sold the house and are moving to Florida in 3 days. My last real safety net here is leaving. I'll always have safety nets, but geographically, now, the only thing letting me stay in Illinois is myself. Its sad, at 28 years old, but this is the first time I've had to balance my livelihood on my own. I'm kinda scared.
North Dakota sucks. I'm just going to flat out say it. And I'm glad it sucks, because there will be no emotion keeping me there when I decide to finally leave, however long that takes. I'm tired of the complete chaos at work, the constant threats, and the stress of not knowing whats going to happen day in and day out. I'm tired of being tired, my legs hurting, and my feet being absolutely on fire. In understand that there is a such thing as hard work, and whatnot, but 51 days with no break wears on one.
But, I did this to myself. I got into debt foolishly and I'm working my way out of it. I did meet my goal for the first trip, and paid off my credit cards. Now I need to start saving so I can pay off loans. It looks like a big mountain to climb, but when I look back only 8 weeks, I have already come a long way.
If all goes well, I'm only 4 weeks of work away from getting medical insurance. As soon as that card is in my hand, I'm making appointments and I'm getting my sleep fixed. I need that more than anything. That is my number one goal right now. Get insurance and save money. That's it.
Once I can focus on things better and sleep better, I can move up from where I am. Once I get out of debt, I won't be held down in my life decisions by the 10 ton elephant I have to lug around. I'm on my way, I just need to keep the momentum up.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Update: Halfway mark.
Yeah. Its been awhile. I've been so busy, and so tired. I'm actually kind of amazed I'm sitting down to write this post, as I'm barely awake. Funny, its not even 9 and I'm falling asleep.
Things at work are going smoothly. As smoothly as a 12 hour a day, 7 day a week shift can go. Some days are frantic, and I barely have the time to get everything done. Some days are slow, and I struggle to find things to fill up the day. Some days I have enough energy to run laps around the building, and some days I barely have the energy to force myself up the stairs to my floor to work. I'm not complaining. This is exactly what I expected.
Things weren't so smooth at first. It was very much a "dive right in" approach to training me. As a result I had a few struggles to overcome, but I did so, and I did so in a fashion that demonstrated to management that I am a good worker, regardless of a personal expertise on the working subject. Basically, I didn't do my job well, but I expressed a willingness to learn, and that impressed my supervisors.
The job doesn't come without its drama, but I've attempted to separate myself from it. Other people's suffering is not my own suffering to deal with, and the faster I acknowledge that, the faster I can get on to making myself happy.
That is one thing I can say. I am happy. Not happy as in I could see myself doing this forever, but happy in that I'm climbing out of my own pit of depression, and filling in the hole as I climb out. I might not be out of debt, but I'm certainly on my way. Even my first half of a paycheck was enough to get things caught up and my feet on solid ground. There is definitely a weight no longer on my shoulders.
I really don't know what else to say. This whole experience is kinda what I expected. I think I'm more tired than I expected. There was part of me that didnt think I could make the whole 7.5 week first stint, but now that I'm halfway, I'm sure I'll be fine. Especially since I'm at the point where days are starting to blur together now. Once I get to work in the morning, load up a podcast, and do my bathrooms, its already 11 am and a big part of the day is over. As much as I've been the kind of person that tries to not make days go by faster, doing so up here makes things a lot easier to deal with.
But, there it is. Its time for me to go to bed. I need my sleeps.
Things at work are going smoothly. As smoothly as a 12 hour a day, 7 day a week shift can go. Some days are frantic, and I barely have the time to get everything done. Some days are slow, and I struggle to find things to fill up the day. Some days I have enough energy to run laps around the building, and some days I barely have the energy to force myself up the stairs to my floor to work. I'm not complaining. This is exactly what I expected.
Things weren't so smooth at first. It was very much a "dive right in" approach to training me. As a result I had a few struggles to overcome, but I did so, and I did so in a fashion that demonstrated to management that I am a good worker, regardless of a personal expertise on the working subject. Basically, I didn't do my job well, but I expressed a willingness to learn, and that impressed my supervisors.
The job doesn't come without its drama, but I've attempted to separate myself from it. Other people's suffering is not my own suffering to deal with, and the faster I acknowledge that, the faster I can get on to making myself happy.
That is one thing I can say. I am happy. Not happy as in I could see myself doing this forever, but happy in that I'm climbing out of my own pit of depression, and filling in the hole as I climb out. I might not be out of debt, but I'm certainly on my way. Even my first half of a paycheck was enough to get things caught up and my feet on solid ground. There is definitely a weight no longer on my shoulders.
I really don't know what else to say. This whole experience is kinda what I expected. I think I'm more tired than I expected. There was part of me that didnt think I could make the whole 7.5 week first stint, but now that I'm halfway, I'm sure I'll be fine. Especially since I'm at the point where days are starting to blur together now. Once I get to work in the morning, load up a podcast, and do my bathrooms, its already 11 am and a big part of the day is over. As much as I've been the kind of person that tries to not make days go by faster, doing so up here makes things a lot easier to deal with.
But, there it is. Its time for me to go to bed. I need my sleeps.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Informational: What to Bring
There are some blogs out there that have touched on this, but I feel like they don't emphasize certain things, so I'm going to talk a bit about it too. What should you bring with you, if you decide to come to North Dakota?
First, and foremost, is Drive. Yeah, it sounds silly and cliché, but one thing you have to consider is that there are hundreds, even thousands of people up here looking for work. You have to separate yourself from them and have a drive and will to get employed. You have to be ready and willing to put in applications all day, and when you're not applying somewhere, you need to be calling the places you already applied and pestering them for an interview. It could take a day, it could take a month, but you have to have the drive to see the mission out to its goal.
Some obvious things to bring with you are clothes, but what kind of clothes should you bring? Some people recommend bringing 2 full weeks worth of clothes or more. My friend brought about 20 pairs of jeans and about 20 T-shirts. This can be both a good and a bad thing. If you get a job on a rig, where you are actually out in the field for a month at a time, then this makes for less laundry you have to do while you are working. That's great, because you probably won't have time to do laundry, anyway. However, if you get one of the many jobs that isn't in the middle of nowhere, purchasing that much ahead of time could take money away from other things that may lengthen your trip, especially if you come up here without a job already lined up.
You also have to consider what type of clothes to bring. I talked a bit last week about how unpredictable the weather can be out here. You should pack accordingly. Even if you are coming up here in the middle of summer, I would bring a jacket, and a long sleeve shirt or 2. You can bring shorts if you want, but you will only really be able to wear them at your house or man camp in the evening, so basketball shorts would probably be better and more comfortable. Granted, this all goes out the window when winter comes. Then you want the warmest things you can get your hand on, and in multiple sizes, so you can layer on the colder it gets.
Footwear you want to bring is pretty basic. You want Steel Toe boots for whatever job you get, sneakers for driving, and some kind of shower shoe, because chances are you will be sharing a shower with complete strangers, and when you mix a bunch of guys working 12 hours a day all taking showers in one shower, Athlete's foot becomes very prevalent. A shower shoe will prevent this from happening. Remember, its like Lt. Dan always said, you gotta keep your feet in line.
Aside from clothes, there are other things to bring. You will probably need bedding, but its hard to know what kind of bed you will get. My recommendation is to get a nice comforter, and get the sheets later. Also, you will need toiletries. A small bag with your shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrush/paste, etc. would suffice. Also, don't forget optics. If you wear glasses or contacts, make sure you have backups. Contact wearers should bring 3 months supply, if you have it. Being stranded in North Dakota with no way to see where you are going is no way to be.
One thing people may overlook when packing for a trip to North Dakota is documentation. Birth Certificate, passport, high school diploma, social security card, vehicle insurance and registration information, driver's license. Also a notebook/planner, and a bunch of pens to write down names, addresses, interview appointments, etc. These are the main items to consider. You also might want to bring checking account information, or a few checks to use when setting up direct deposit with a new employer. It is always better to have these items and not need them, then to need them and have to pay astronomical prices to have them sent to you overnight.
If you plan on living out of your car and looking for work, you have to consider size of things, and ability to pack them efficiently. It can be a lot like Tetris, but when you are living in a small space, any amount of extra room can make a big difference in moral. Bringing things like plastic bags to contain garbage, some detailing wipes, to keep the interior clean and not smelling can do wonders to help make you feel more comfortable in your car and keep your moral high.
Don't be too eager to bring too many electronics. First off, if you don't have a job, keeping them charged is going to be a pain in the butt, and second, if you do have a job, you're not going to have much time to play with them. Bring a laptop and a cell phone, and their respective chargers. That's great because the internet can give you a means to find work, plus a means to communicate with home. Netflix can be a great way to wind down at night, too.
Some people might consider pots and pans. I wouldn't really recommend it, because you could end up at a man camp, or you could be living out of your car for awhile, and pots and pans take up a lot of room. You can always pick up a cheap setup at Walmart, or just wait until your first trip home.
That about wraps up my list of recommendations. This is pretty much what I brought, and it seems to be working out ok. If you have any questions about a specific item, or think I'm wrong about something, leave a comment and I'll try to respond.
First, and foremost, is Drive. Yeah, it sounds silly and cliché, but one thing you have to consider is that there are hundreds, even thousands of people up here looking for work. You have to separate yourself from them and have a drive and will to get employed. You have to be ready and willing to put in applications all day, and when you're not applying somewhere, you need to be calling the places you already applied and pestering them for an interview. It could take a day, it could take a month, but you have to have the drive to see the mission out to its goal.
Some obvious things to bring with you are clothes, but what kind of clothes should you bring? Some people recommend bringing 2 full weeks worth of clothes or more. My friend brought about 20 pairs of jeans and about 20 T-shirts. This can be both a good and a bad thing. If you get a job on a rig, where you are actually out in the field for a month at a time, then this makes for less laundry you have to do while you are working. That's great, because you probably won't have time to do laundry, anyway. However, if you get one of the many jobs that isn't in the middle of nowhere, purchasing that much ahead of time could take money away from other things that may lengthen your trip, especially if you come up here without a job already lined up.
You also have to consider what type of clothes to bring. I talked a bit last week about how unpredictable the weather can be out here. You should pack accordingly. Even if you are coming up here in the middle of summer, I would bring a jacket, and a long sleeve shirt or 2. You can bring shorts if you want, but you will only really be able to wear them at your house or man camp in the evening, so basketball shorts would probably be better and more comfortable. Granted, this all goes out the window when winter comes. Then you want the warmest things you can get your hand on, and in multiple sizes, so you can layer on the colder it gets.
Footwear you want to bring is pretty basic. You want Steel Toe boots for whatever job you get, sneakers for driving, and some kind of shower shoe, because chances are you will be sharing a shower with complete strangers, and when you mix a bunch of guys working 12 hours a day all taking showers in one shower, Athlete's foot becomes very prevalent. A shower shoe will prevent this from happening. Remember, its like Lt. Dan always said, you gotta keep your feet in line.
Aside from clothes, there are other things to bring. You will probably need bedding, but its hard to know what kind of bed you will get. My recommendation is to get a nice comforter, and get the sheets later. Also, you will need toiletries. A small bag with your shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrush/paste, etc. would suffice. Also, don't forget optics. If you wear glasses or contacts, make sure you have backups. Contact wearers should bring 3 months supply, if you have it. Being stranded in North Dakota with no way to see where you are going is no way to be.
One thing people may overlook when packing for a trip to North Dakota is documentation. Birth Certificate, passport, high school diploma, social security card, vehicle insurance and registration information, driver's license. Also a notebook/planner, and a bunch of pens to write down names, addresses, interview appointments, etc. These are the main items to consider. You also might want to bring checking account information, or a few checks to use when setting up direct deposit with a new employer. It is always better to have these items and not need them, then to need them and have to pay astronomical prices to have them sent to you overnight.
If you plan on living out of your car and looking for work, you have to consider size of things, and ability to pack them efficiently. It can be a lot like Tetris, but when you are living in a small space, any amount of extra room can make a big difference in moral. Bringing things like plastic bags to contain garbage, some detailing wipes, to keep the interior clean and not smelling can do wonders to help make you feel more comfortable in your car and keep your moral high.
Don't be too eager to bring too many electronics. First off, if you don't have a job, keeping them charged is going to be a pain in the butt, and second, if you do have a job, you're not going to have much time to play with them. Bring a laptop and a cell phone, and their respective chargers. That's great because the internet can give you a means to find work, plus a means to communicate with home. Netflix can be a great way to wind down at night, too.
Some people might consider pots and pans. I wouldn't really recommend it, because you could end up at a man camp, or you could be living out of your car for awhile, and pots and pans take up a lot of room. You can always pick up a cheap setup at Walmart, or just wait until your first trip home.
That about wraps up my list of recommendations. This is pretty much what I brought, and it seems to be working out ok. If you have any questions about a specific item, or think I'm wrong about something, leave a comment and I'll try to respond.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Update: Employment
Well. It was bound to happen. Even I could only fail for so long.
Yes, kids, that's right. I. Got. A. Job.
Yes, I, the self-doubting king of emo, found a job.
All joking aside, I really did get an offer. I'm not going to mention the name of the company, because, honestly, I don't even know if I'm allowed to do that on a blog. I don't want to risk screwing myself out of this opportunity, so I will just say that I will be working a ton of hours, and making enough to justify making the trips up here, at least until I get my debt paid off.
A lot of you supported me, and I an thankful for that. It helped me to keep my head up and stay positive. I applied to so many jobs I can't even begin to come up with a number. Persistence pays off, I guess.
The job is going to be up in Williston, which is kind of a bummer, because I kind of like it in Dickinson, but I'm not being picky. I'm sure, once I get established here, there will be opportunity to move around the company and maybe end up here again. Not that it really matters, I mean, I'm getting paid, right?
Its going to be a slow process, but now I can finally concentrate on throwing gobs of money at my debtors, in the hopes of finally becoming free again. I'm tired of living my life as a wage slave, constantly stressed out over whats going to happen because I can't pay my bills.
Oh. I imagine I'm going to have a ton of time to listen to music and podcasts while I'm doing the work I will be doing, so if you have any suggestions on good podcasts to listen to, I'm all ears. I currently listen to most of the stuff on the Smodcast Network, a couple things on TWiT and Rev3, and a couple wrestling podcasts (3CR, and Art of Wrestling).
Its going to be weird being so far removed from anyone I know. It was kinda weird when I moved to Las Vegas 4 years ago, but at least then I had family. It was kinda weird coming up here 3 months ago, too, but at least then I had a friend here. When I leave for Williston on Sunday, I'm going to be venturing off on my own for the first time in my life. Yes, Pete will still be 2 hours away, but this will be the furthest I've ever been removed from friend or family in my life. Part of me is scared, part of me is numb to it. After all, in 6 weeks I'll be back to visit everyone. Its kind of like a prison sentence, except not at all like prison, and I get to leave from time to time. I did my "crimes of consumerism" and now I have to go away and work until I pay for those "crimes."
So, does this mean that Act 2 is starting?
Yes, kids, that's right. I. Got. A. Job.
Yes, I, the self-doubting king of emo, found a job.
All joking aside, I really did get an offer. I'm not going to mention the name of the company, because, honestly, I don't even know if I'm allowed to do that on a blog. I don't want to risk screwing myself out of this opportunity, so I will just say that I will be working a ton of hours, and making enough to justify making the trips up here, at least until I get my debt paid off.
A lot of you supported me, and I an thankful for that. It helped me to keep my head up and stay positive. I applied to so many jobs I can't even begin to come up with a number. Persistence pays off, I guess.
The job is going to be up in Williston, which is kind of a bummer, because I kind of like it in Dickinson, but I'm not being picky. I'm sure, once I get established here, there will be opportunity to move around the company and maybe end up here again. Not that it really matters, I mean, I'm getting paid, right?
Its going to be a slow process, but now I can finally concentrate on throwing gobs of money at my debtors, in the hopes of finally becoming free again. I'm tired of living my life as a wage slave, constantly stressed out over whats going to happen because I can't pay my bills.
Oh. I imagine I'm going to have a ton of time to listen to music and podcasts while I'm doing the work I will be doing, so if you have any suggestions on good podcasts to listen to, I'm all ears. I currently listen to most of the stuff on the Smodcast Network, a couple things on TWiT and Rev3, and a couple wrestling podcasts (3CR, and Art of Wrestling).
Its going to be weird being so far removed from anyone I know. It was kinda weird when I moved to Las Vegas 4 years ago, but at least then I had family. It was kinda weird coming up here 3 months ago, too, but at least then I had a friend here. When I leave for Williston on Sunday, I'm going to be venturing off on my own for the first time in my life. Yes, Pete will still be 2 hours away, but this will be the furthest I've ever been removed from friend or family in my life. Part of me is scared, part of me is numb to it. After all, in 6 weeks I'll be back to visit everyone. Its kind of like a prison sentence, except not at all like prison, and I get to leave from time to time. I did my "crimes of consumerism" and now I have to go away and work until I pay for those "crimes."
So, does this mean that Act 2 is starting?
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