It’s hard to believe that this is my last blog.

I have been blogging for Stratejoy for six months now, and the time has flown by despite tons of changes.

Writing a weekly blog has really helped me put things into perspective. I started writing for Molly at a time when I was completely unhappy with my work situation.  I was bored, lost, unchallenged, and confused about what I should do to fix things.

After much encouragement from friends and family and after plenty of long brainstorming and researching sessions, I decided I could do it—I could leave my crappy corporate job and figure out a plan for myself later.

Sure, I have made gutsy moves like this before.  I’m no stranger to dropping everything in order to travel or try something new, but this was probably one of the more gutsy moves I have ever made. Not only was I dropping a steady job in the middle of an economic downturn, but also dropping my only source of income despite being a new homeowner and having no immediate plan of action once I walked out of my office doors.

I can honestly say it was the best decision I have ever made.

There were definitely times when I questioned whether I had done the right thing or made the smartest choice, but I managed to make ends meet.  I picked up freelance work and odd jobs while attempting to piece together my next move.  I took time to travel and explore and find new inspirations in a different part of the world.

I definitely dealt with my fair share of raised eyebrows and perplexed looks, but I never let those things lead me to question my decisions or myself.

I tried to keep in mind that my ultimate goal was to find happiness in the moment and hope and inspiration for the future.  I truly believe that there are millions of ways to reach that ultimate point of happiness and satisfaction, and I think I have learned that it’s very different for each person.

I am definitely on the right path, but I still have plenty of things to figure out.  Most importantly though, I am positive that I have figured out the right attitude needed to be happy with life—even with all the ups and downs, and that’s my biggest accomplishment yet. I’m sure the rest will fall into place as long as I continue on with that attitude.

At the current moment, I am considering going back to school.  I have a couple meetings set up this week in order to learn more about some programs I am interested in.  Not sure what will come of it or what direction I may end up going, but I’m confident I will know what’s right for me…

The hard part is just finding it!

In the meantime, I did something crazy.  I booked a 2-week trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico.  I leave in a week.  It’s a 26th birthday present to myself.  I just can’t get enough sunshine…

[Robyn-- It's been an amazing journey and I thank you for sharing your trials and tribulations with us over the last 6 months.  You've made some big changes and taken some gutsy moves to carve out a path that is authentic and joyful.  So proud!  So inspired!  So on your side!  I just wanted to take a quick moment to say Thank You.  From all of us, Thank You.  And best of luck as you dive into your next journey!  Keep us in the loop...  Love,  Molly]

photo-credit:  m-c

One of my last stops in Costa Rica was a small coastal town called Dominical. I spent a couple days there hiking on the beach and playing in the ocean like I was five years old.

I was having so much fun playing in the huge waves that I decided to take a surfing lesson. I had tried surfing a couple years ago during my travels in Australia, but I had only managed to stand up a couple times then and hadn’t impressed myself too much.

Still, the feeling of catching my first wave was with me, and I wanted to have that feeling again.

This time I took my lesson early in the morning with a guy named Bob, who had recently retired from a long career in pro surfing. I immediately liked his teaching style and was especially intrigued when he told me that the secret to being a good surfer is shutting off your brain.

“No thinking allowed–it’s all instinct and really feeling the ocean and the wave as you ride into shore,” he explained to me.

Once I was situated in the ocean with my board attached to my ankle, I shut off my brain. Bob told me that the waves and the rip tide were especially strong at the moment but that I should be able to stand up as long as I went after each wave with the right attitude.

“Once you pick your wave, you must go for it. Choose it and make it yours and then take it. Never turn back  or hesitate,” he said.

I watched each wave roll in and found the one I wanted. I climbed on my board and laid on my stomach. Bob helped me get centered, and once the wave was almost behind me… I started paddling like crazy.

I shut off my brain.

I felt the wave moving under my board. I took two more long strokes with my arms and popped up. I rode the wave until I hit shallow water. Just like that. Thrilling!

Of course there were plenty of wipe outs and failed attempts after that, but there were at least 15-20 other waves I caught.  Bob actually let me keep the board for an hour after my lesson. I stayed out in the ocean catching waves all by myself until I was too sunburned, thirsty, and sore to continue.

It felt great!

Just as I did during my surfing lesson, I managed to turn off my brain many times during the rest of my travels, and it felt good not to think for once. I didn’t worry about my lack of work back home. I didn’t worry about bills or finances. I didn’t even worry about that great “life plan” I’ve been attempting to organize for the past few months. I just enjoyed the moment and concentrated on what was right in front of me–flawless ocean, endless beach, and perfect streaks of sunlight.

Currently, I am on a flight back to Chicago. Even now, after all I’ve learned, I find that my brain is completely turned on and clouded with the many things on my list of things to do upon my return to the “real world.” Urgh.

This reminds me of how important it is to take a break from your routine sometimes–just to make sure you are living life right, just to give yourself a chance to recharge and find new inspirations. This trip was definitely a gift to myself, and I have taken something from it that I hope to apply to my life in Chicago.

In a lazy beach bar two men clink their beers together and say “La Pura Vida.” As I exit the local bus and thank the driver for the ride, he responds with, “La Pura Vida.” Even when locals can’t understand my Spanglish mixed with my Midwestern accent, they shrug their shoulders and reply, “La Pura Vida.”

It can be heard everywhere around Costa Rica. It means pure life, good life. I think I would compare it to the Australians’ use of “No worries.” Both phrases seem to acknowledge that life is good. There is no need to dwell on anything but the present moment and all that is sweet in life.

So what have I been doing? I started my travels in San Jose and from there moved on to Manuel Antonio. I hiked through Manuel Antonio National Park, saw monkeys, discovered a deserted beach, and I spent New Year’s Eve on the beach.

With a DJ mixing in the background, hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the New Year at a giant BYOB party that ended with fireworks and streaking into the ocean at midnight. It will be hard to ever top that kind of celebration!

From Manuel Antonio, I headed to Montezuma–the physical definition of “La Pura Vida.” Montezuma is a small hippie town on the beach. Everyone knows everyone, and they welcome travelers with open arms. People are known to plan a visit to Montezuma and instead, end up staying forever. The people who live there give new meaning to “laid back” and “stress-free.”

During my visit there, I stayed at a hostel right on the coast. I went to sleep to the sound of waves, and I woke up to the sound of waves. Each morning I hiked along the coast into town to get myself a smoothie for breakfast. After only a couple days, faces became familiar. I knew people’s stories. I knew where they lived, what they did for work, and how they ended up in Montezuma.

I decided I couldn’t leave after only a couple days, so I reorganized my trip to allow for a few extra days to be spent in Montezuma. I ended up doing a strenuous 4 hour coastal hike to a waterfall. I got to stand beneath the fresh water as it fell and hit the rocks and then rolled into the ocean.

I’ve spent most of my days soaking up sun, swimming in the ocean, attempting to body surf the crazy waves, and collecting seashells. I’ve enjoyed my fair share of reggae music and mojitos. I’ve tried each tiny restaurant in thee area, and I’ve tried to improve my Spanish as much as I can by talking to locals.

I’ve relaxed, cleared my mind, and become inspired by a new way of living.

Yesterday I decided it was time to move on, so now I am writing this blog from a café in Monteverde. In a couple hours I will be doing a canopy tour of the rainforest via zip line! I’m trying not to think of returning to the freezing Chicago weather…

Instead- I’m living in the moment and soaking up all that is La Pura Vida so that I can bring the attitude back with me.

Right now I am typing this blog on my iPhone as I wait at the airport in Terminal E10 to board my flight to San Jose, Costa Rica. This is the vacation, the freedom, I’ve been looking forward to since I quit my job 3 months ago.

I am beyond excited to escape the single digit weather here in Chicago, and I am thrilled to start exploring some place new.

With this trip, I am already getting an early start on some of my New Year’s resolutions for 2010.

Robyn’s 2010 Resolutions

1. Always have something to look forward to… a new trip, a new project, etc.
2. Eat more fruits and veggies.
3. Deal with stress better. Start taking yoga classes and meditating.
4. Finish what I start, whether it be an organizing project or something I write… especially when it comes to something I write!
5. Have more “loner” time. Enjoy being by myself more.
6. Learn how to  really use my snazzy new Nikon SLR D40 camera!
7. Worry less.
8. Embrace change and growth.
9. Make more of an effort to keep in touch with old friends and distant family members.
10. Complete a triathlon.

Nothing too outrageous. I’m looking forward to 2010 and everything it may bring.

It’s hard to believe my life changed so much in just the past three months–mostly due to leaving my “9 to 5″ to do my own thing. More change is inevitible as I figure out how I want to spend my time and where I want my career to take me.

Hopefully I will gain more insight as I am hiking through the jungle, jumping off waterfalls, and laying on the beach soaking up the sun!

Jeans, t-shirts, comfy shoes, familiar faces, friendly coworkers, inside jokes, free food and drinks, and of course…cash in hand at the end of the night—all perks of working in a restaurant or bar.

Last week I wrote about how much I loved my first jobs in the restaurant/bar industry. I wrote about how my serving and bar-tending jobs never seemed much like real work because I loved what I was doing and the people I saw every day. Most of all, I loved the team mentality and the overall sense of family.Truly working together and allowing the workplace to start feeling as familiar as your own home is an irreplaceable experience.

As I was saying before, my experiences in the industry had a great effect on me and who I am today. Being a server is tough, and if you can survive the first couple days, then you can survive and will come out of the profession stronger in the end and ready to take on anything.

My friend, Paul, was the one who convinced me to start serving to overcome my shyness. He had been a server for a while at this point, and he swore it was the reason he had kicked his nervous stuttering habit. In the beginning, he was terrified of talking to strangers, but he made himself do it. With every new table and every new customer, it got easier and easier. He was less and less nervous, and eventually he wasn’t nervous at all, and his stutter disappeared.

When I started my first serving position I was pretty young, somewhat insecure, a little fragile, and very shy. I didn’t like criticism, and I broke under pressure. Obviously, this doesn’t describe the ideal server, and that’s a fact—I definitely was not the ideal server. I hated the thought of forcing small talk with the people at my tables. I hated the idea of customers treating me like their own personal food slave.

However, eventually I toughened up. I needed to. I think most people need to. It took a couple weeks of messing up orders and spilling drinks, a couple rude comments, and a couple really bad customers, but I came out of it a better server and, most importantly, a better person. Through serving, I gained confidence and a sense of self. I found my own voice and my own personality. It was fun meeting new people constantly and striking up random conversations with random people. I loved my customers, and I actually had “regulars” come in and request me to be their server. I became close with my coworkers, and we used to rock the bar after hours.

Besides just overcoming my shyness, I started to really respect myself and demand respect from others.

Since I worked at a family-owned bar, I was actually allowed to stick up for myself when it came to rude customers or drunken men attempting to hit on me. I developed a quick wit and a snappy-I-don’t-take-crap-from-anyone attitude. Even when a customer complained that his burger wasn’t cooked right or his beer wasn’t cold enough… It was fun to say, “Chill out, Buddy. I’ll get you a new one.”

Nothing seemed to faze me—no amount of complaints could ruin my day because what was the worst that could happen? Someone would leave me a bad tip? Who cares… I’d make up for it with all the tables that loved me.

By the time I had graduated college and was looking for a job, I had been in the restaurant/bar industry for six years. I know that the skills I gained while serving definitely helped me obtain the jobs I had after college. Honestly, interviews were easy for me. I was used to having strangers ask me about myself. I was also just plain comfortable around people I didn’t know. I knew how to talk my way out of awkward silences. I knew how to find common ground with anyone. I was confident and secure and ready to try something new. Serving shaped me into a multitasking, people-person who knows what she wants.

I have continued to carry what I learned from serving with me throughout life.

If any of you readers are currently unemployed or looking for a new challenge. I would recommend serving or bartending as an excellent interim job. I can only rave about everything you will get out of it!

photo credit: Oakley WebCam

When I was 14 years old I was sick of babysitting, and I was eager to earn a real paycheck. I started working at a neighborhood pizza joint to make some extra money, and that was the beginning of the rollercoaster romance I would have with the restaurant industry.

At the pizza place, I immediately felt at home. The people I worked with became my closest friends. I found myself stopping by even when I didn’t have the work. I found myself hanging out with my coworkers on the weekends when we all had the day off.

And even more strangely, when I did have to work, it never seemed like work. I just had fun with my friends while we made pizzas and served customers. I loved the fast-paced yet laid back work environment, so I continued working at the pizza place for four years until I had to leave for college. Leaving my first job felt like I was closing a huge chapter in my life, and I knew I would be coming home for the summers to get back into the restaurant industry.

Sure enough, each summer I came home to work. This time I started serving and bartending at a busy bar close to my home. Once again, I loved the work. I loved the people I saw every day—my coworkers and my customers.

Each summer when I had to leave to go back to school, I was sad to leave. Something about working at a restaurant/bar makes you feel like you are part of a team. The people you work with see you have good days and bad days. They see you get angry, stressed, sad, frustrated. Then they see you get an awesome tip, have a great shift, get hit on by that regular customer over and over again.

You help each other out when things get busy or customers get difficult. You exchange stories about what you are saving your tips for. You exchange stories about your tables and your drunken customers. You bond over the whole shared experience of working in the same restaurant or bar. You share the same feelings about your job—you complain about it, but deep down you care and love every second of it.

Eventually you become much more than coworkers and much more than a team—you become family.

Even after graduating from college and starting a “real” job, I missed the restaurant industry so much that I started working one weekend night a week at a restaurant close to my apartment in the city. There I found the same close-knit team and fulfilled that personal need while doing the whole 9-to-5.

My younger sister, Holly, just graduated from college and is preparing to move back home until she finds a job. With my new flexible work schedule, I was able to spend last week in Iowa City helping her pack and move out of her apartment. In between jamming boxes full of clothes and giving resume advice and job interview tips, we took a break to grab a beer at the bar she has been bartending at for the past year.

Holly talked about how much she was going to miss the bar, her coworkers, and the regular customers. While she had started bartending for the money, the bar had turned into much more than her workplace. It had become her second home and the people she worked with became her second family.

It made me remember my days in the restaurant industry. I’m not sure how many readers have worked as servers or bartenders, but it’s something I would definitely recommend. There is no other job like it, and I am a firm believer that people who have worked in this industry are all-around better workers, better communicators, and better people.

I started in the restaurant industry more than 10 years ago. The person I am now is completely different from that person who first walked into that pizza place.

The industry shaped me and forced me to open up to people and new relationships and, ultimately, changed me for the better.

photo credit : star3112

In between my writing and my dog walking and my attempt to make more solid plans for the future, I have booked a trip to escape reality for three weeks.

I figured I might as well take advantage of my current work arrangement. Since I’m my own boss right now, there was no need to fuss over dates or worry about vacation time.

Right after Christmas, I am hopping a plane to San Jose, Costa Rica! I plan on bringing a camera and a backpack and that’s about it. My goal is to keep the whole trip under $1,000, which I think should be pretty doable since I found a great flight deal!

Right now I don’t have much of a plan, except that I will be spending New Year’s Eve in a coastal hippie town called Montezuma. I decided to splurge and booked three nights in a beachfront bungalow in the small town. After celebrating the New Year on the beach (supposedly beach parties every night!), I am planning to spend my days eating delicious seafood, hiking to find secret waterfalls, relaxing on the beach, and enjoying the wildlife and nature all around me.

It sounds too good to be true, and I cannot wait!

After Montezuma, I have tentative plans to work my way up to Arenal, which is famous for volcano hikes and jungle canopy tours. I also plan on trying zip lining for the first time and also whitewater rafting as I have on my previous trips. There seems to be plenty of options for adventure and new activities.

So far those are the only plans I have.

In the past, I have found it best to go with the flow and not have too many firm commitments when I travel. After all, you never know who you might meet, what place you might randomly and suddenly fall in love with, and where it may all lead you to…

I booked my flight out of Panama, so I know I will be heading south after Arenal. Hopefully after some more research I will be able to sign up to volunteer somewhere for a week. There are lots of opportunities to work on a farm, work with wildlife, or help with different camps or schools for children.

I’m thrilled to explore a new place, meet new people, and have new experiences.

Most of all, I am excited to feel inspired and revived all over again. Traveling always has this exhilarating effect on me, and I plan on taking advantage of this once I return to Chicago with new ideas, a new outlook, and a new attitude.

photo credit : isotaupe

Has our generation been set up to be disappointed?

Lately I have been thinking about how restless I have been, and the majority of my friends in their twenties all seem to be in the same boat. Many aren’t happy with their current careers. Many are clueless as to what the future holds and how they can have any say in it.

I’m convinced that we are all restless as a result of how our generation was raised.

If you think about it, our grandparents and parents grew up in times when you worked to make a living; you didn’t work to “be happy.” My grandparents acquired skilled trades. They worked because they had to feed their families. My dad found a mentor after high school and decided to learn the sales business. He started working immediately because he wanted to marry my mom and buy a house. My mom went to college to be a teacher so she would have a work schedule that would make it easy to have kids.

Historically, generations before us have worked jobs in order to live. Our generation is different, because we not only want to work to live, but we want to work to be happy and enjoy our profession. This makes us a very picky generation that finds it hard to settle for just any unfulfilling, routine job.

We think we deserve exactly what we want.

We expect to have jobs that are interesting, exciting, and well-paid. When our jobs prove to be anything but these….we are left restless, attempting to figure out how to make things right.

Growing up, we were told: “You can be anything you want to be,” “Follow your passions,” “Do what makes you happy,” etc. Of course these are pretty sayings that people want to believe, and I’m trying not to be too bitter or cynical here, but these sayings just aren’t realistic. I wish I had been told that making a living is not always going to be fun. It’s going to be hard work that isn’t always interesting, exciting, and well-paid.

Because we weren’t told this, many of us in the midst of a Quarterlife Crisis are stuck trying to figure out where we went wrong. The thing is…we didn’t go wrong. We simply finished college and went through the job application process, expecting exactly what we were told—that we could be anything we wanted to be and use our major in any way we wanted to and that we could make a living doing anything that makes us happy.

Now we need to realize that our generation was raised with false pretenses. We have grown up to expect the unrealistic.

I’m still beyond thrilled that I gave up my corporate job from hell, but I’m slightly anxious about what my future holds. I am constantly trying to make a plan for myself—one year down the road, five years down the road—just struggling to create some kind of direction for myself and my career.

I continually remind myself that I need to change my way of thinking when it comes to a career. I can’t expect something that thrills me each and every day, but I can expect something that is interesting and allows me to use the skills I enjoy using the most.

photo credit : pjern

So I am starting off the blog this week with the theme of the month: Gratitude.  Of course, Thanksgiving was the perfect time to really think about what you are grateful for and all the things you should be appreciating on a daily basis.

When I narrow it down, here’s what I am grateful for:

My Family and Friends

Despite the freezing temperatures in Chicago, I always look forward to the winter season because that means the holidays are here, and that means my loved ones will all be together.  I have a small extended family, which should make it easy to all get together, but sadly, getting everyone together under one roof is actually a rare occasion.

That’s why the holiday season is so important to me.

I have family members fly across the country to come home for the holidays. I have two younger sisters in college out-of-state.  I have cousins who have grown up and scattered themselves from California to New York to Texas.  I have high school friends and college roommates who come home for the holidays.

Between job commitments and school and geographic locations, it’s tough to find time to get everyone together. During the year, I can always count on phone calls, emails, and even Facebook statuses to know what everyone is up to, but those things could never compare to being face-to-face with those I care about most.

I’m so grateful for this one time a year when we can all gather to catch up and hear about each other’s lives in person.

My Health and Well-Being

I have been quite lucky this year!  I can’t even complain of a simple cold that I got this year, let alone H1N1!  (Knock on wood)…

I have never felt better.

After leaving my horrid corporate job, I truly rid myself of a lot of stress and negative energy that I had built up day after day. At the time, I didn’t even realize what an effect it had on my well-being.  Many times, I would feel tired or sluggish or just plain lazy after a day at my desk, but now it’s just the opposite.

I have been revived!  I am bursting with energy and so over-the-top happy that I have actually been stopped in the middle of the grocery store and asked why I was so “smiley”. I didn’t even have an answer… I am just plain happy with my life and happy with myself.  I find that I am more active and taking better care of myself, and I am so grateful for my recent life changes and the positive effect they have had on my body and mind.

Speaking of happiness, I’d also like to do a little shout out for Molly’s online course, The Joy Equation: A 30-Day Guide To Living Life On Purpose.  I recently completed The Joy Equation and found that it gently guided me as I dealt with my Quarterlife Crisis head on.  It helped me to get all my thoughts out on paper so that I could consider what my current concerns were and work through each one.  It guided me through forming a plan to take one day at a time with the only goal being to lead a happier and more fulfilling life.

I definitely give this course some credit for my current level of satisfaction regardless of all the uncertainties that lie ahead. And I am definitely grateful for that!

First of all, I don’t miss my alarm blaring in the morning. Desperate to start my days right, I used to try to trick myself into getting excited for the work day by having my alarm go off with a funny song. I rarely fell for my own tricks.

These days I wake up when I feel like it. There’s no alarm involved, and there’s no bribing myself with Dunkin’ Donuts to get out of bed and get to office on time. Actually, I now naturally wake up earlier than I did when I had my 9 to 5. I think I am happy to get an early start and do my own thing.

Secondly, I don’t miss the boredom, the meaningless work…the unimportant deadlines. I think the biggest problem I had with my past job was that my company seemed to be comprised of people who always took themselves so seriously. Everything was so structured and needed to be so flawless. There was no room to be creative or flexible or even to just question something and try a different way of getting it done.

There was always protocol. And it needed to be followed.

I always had a hard time taking my meaningless work seriously because it meant nothing to me. In the back of my mind I was constantly thinking about all the things that were important to me—things I truly cared about that could better benefit from my energy and dedication.

Now, I choose the work I take on. I make sure it’s interesting and challenging and forces me to use the skills I want to use. I aim to always have a variety of work so that my days never feel routine. I make sure I like the people I work with and that they are constantly open to change. Of course there is still the “bitch work,” but along with that comes the good stuff, and I get to put my hands in it all. Every ounce of work can be traced back to me, and that gives me a sense of accomplishment. Even when I have busy days or deadlines, I am doing it all for myself, and I get to reap all the benefits of it.

Lastly, I don’t miss being fit into this little box of “marketing coordinator.” At my past job, I was hired to do a certain type of work. Expectedly, I was given that type of work day after day. Even when I went above and beyond, I never got rewarded with different work or more challenging work… Instead, I got more of what I was good at. The position never offered me room to grow or to explore and develop new skills.

When I wake up each morning—whether it’s to edit a manuscript, write a blog, or take a dog for a walk, I am constantly thinking of new things I could learn or try to do.

Some days I think I need to take a cooking class or join a triathlon training team. Some days I think I should really start writing a book or learning some basic web design techniques. Some days I think I should go back to travel writing and photography.

The options are endless, and as of right now, I am the only one who can really stand in my own way.

photo credit: Living Now