I need to stop eating like a teenage boy.

The chips and pizza and sweets are not good. I mean, they are good and delicious, especially when it is homemade pizza and cookies, but not when they go immediately to my waistline. Hoping that going back to work will help me control my random snacking and grazing all day long…although, I was told that a fully stocked snack closest and kitchen was a perk at my new office. Good lord, I have no will power.

I told myself that as soon as I got a job, I was going to open (and drink) this. Well, as of last night it is empty. And it was just a delish as I remember when I tasted it in Napa last summer.

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

Eleanor Roosevelt

I stressed for a long time before choosing this quote, which will be featured on my name plate at my new job.

When one door closes, another opens.

I have been waiting a few days to write this post and I am so excited that I can now share the news that I officially have a job (Insert happy dance here!). As of Monday, May 9, I’ll be an Account Supervisor in the Dallas office of GolinHarris, a leading, global PR firm.

Long story short on how I got to where I am today: About a month a half ago, I participated in a PR-related Twitter chat (HAPPO - Help a PR Pro Out, for those of you who are interested). HAPPO champion and my friend, and I am proud to call her that, Lauren was also joining in, gave me lots of shoutouts and then introduced me to Alex, now my colleague, who passed my resume on to the GH Dallas team. And I am sure you all can figure out where it went from there…

The most important lesson I have learned, and I know I have said this before, while I have been out of work is not to be afraid to put myself out there and ask for help. It took me a while to get over that fear or think people would see me as weak, but when I did, I learned a lot about myself and it lead to some great opportunities. Best of all, it lead me to my new “home.”

Losing my job three months ago was one of the most difficult things I have had to endure in my life so far, but as the headline of this post says, “When one door closes, another opens.” I’m really looking forward to taking on new challenges, working with new colleagues and clients and growing, both as an individual and a professional. On Monday, I’m really excited to walk through through a new door.

This week has been the busiest week I have had in a long time.

Searching for a job is seriously a full-time job. And it’s exhausting. It will all pay off though. I just know it.

Scary, yet true.

I used to think that work was making me fat…

Now, I think that sitting on my couch all day and not having very much human interaction, expect for the occasional lunch date, drinks with friends, trip to the grocery store or working at a coffee shop, is making me fat.

I quit my diet the day I lost my job, haven’t been to yoga in three weeks and haven’t had much motivation to get of my ass lately, which is sad. So yesterday, I downloaded some mixtapes from my fellow tumblr friends and rediscovered some oldies, but goodies and made some new playlists. I walked in the park the last two days and I feel good. Yesterday, I was depressed and today I was happy and after a walk in the park on both days, I felt better.

Now, I just need to stop buying chips and cookies…that’s another story.

What I did over the last week.

Forgive my lack of updates lately. Here’s a recap of what I did over the last week or so.

• - SXSWi - Last week (Sunday-Monday), I went to Austin for a couple of days. I have wanted to go to SXSW since I moved to Dallas five years ago and now seemed like the perfect time to do it. I had a great time! I caught up with friends, some media and PR/social media friends and former clients and networked with some new people. I borrowed a friends badge and went to some really interesting panel discussions. I got a lead on a job in Dallas. It was a super short trip, and I wish I could have stayed longer for more networking and even longer for the music portion, but overall I had a really good time.
• - Home renovations - My dad and I refinished my bathtub. For about $30 bucks, we basically “painted” my bathtub. It was a lot faster and cheaper than ripping out the tub, getting it professionally done or calling someone like Bath Fitter. I am fairly happy with the results, but regardless, it looks better than it did before. I also cleaned my patio and planted new flowers, plants and herbs. I love this time of year, it’s perfect to enjoy a glass of wine and good book outside on my patio. This week, I think I might paint a wall in my living room. I painted over a year ago when I moved in, but left this one little section where a closet door is and it has been bothering me for too long.
• - Catching up - Lunch with a PR friend. Dinner and drinks with a former colleague/friend. Lunch with my dad. It’s amazing how many people I have seen since I haven’t had a full time job.
• - Job search - I have to be 100% honest here. I thought I would have had a job by now. The process is incredibly slow. I applied for a job almost 6 weeks ago and heard back just last week. I had a phone interview with a major Dallas-based company last week, but the feeling I got is that I was overqualified. I scheduled a phone interview for today with a big-time daily deal site for a new division of the company for today. I also got a good lead on job a huge PR agency. Something is bound to happen soon, right?

Because I am too lazy to upload pictures right now…

Here a few updates on my life right now:

• - I have been sick for a week now and I have had no voice for almost 5 days. I sound hoarse and scratchy and I have been apologizing to people I have been talking to on the phone or in person that I don’t know all that well letting them know I don’t normally sound this way. I also have this annoying cough that just won’t seem to go away.
• - My girls trip to Las Vegas was awesome. It was just what I needed, even though I was sick the whole time. We shopped, ate, drank and went sight-seeing. We did Vegas right - complimentary dinner at Beso and free champagne at Eve, both at the Cosmopolitan, on the guest list at Tao at The Venetian, where we found some nice, young men to buy us drinks and a free drink at Chateau Gardens & Nightclub at Paris. We had the best desserts at Sugar Factory, saw the fountains at Bellagio, saw Greg London - Impressions that Rock! (for free!) and went to the Hoover Dam. I have been to Vegas so many times, but this trip was definitely one of my favorites. Pictures to come soon.
• - I started my freelance job today. Feeling a little pressure, but it also feels good to be doing some kind of work again. Job searching seems to be going a little slower, probably due to the fact that I have applied to almost every position that applies to me in the DFW area. Something is coming though…I can feel it.
• - Since I have been sick, I have been slacking on the things I have been wanting to do, like clean up my patio. I am hoping to get to that this week because looking at leaves and dead plants out there is starting to irritate me.

I can now add freelancer to my resume.

Today I connected with a PR agency friend who I have known for the last five years. Awesome guy who I would love to work with full-time, but that won’t happen unless I move back to the Northeast or I convince him to open an office in Dallas.

I’ll be helping him out with some freelance PR work for a little while. I am excited to dip my feet into something different while I continue my search for a full-time job.

My dad said it right, “It’s good to have a boost of confidence and a little work to keep your spirits up until something great comes your way.” Thanks, Dad.