So I'm sitting here at the desk I've worked at for the last year.  It feels just about the same as usual: lots of people at lunch, hot coffee sitting next to me, and not much to do but waste time on Facebook.  With all of the usual atmosphere, there is one big difference.  It's my last day at this job.  In fact, it's my last day in any part-time job for the forseeable future.

Tomorrow, Katie and I are moving to Lewisville, and Monday I start my job with AIG.  I'm finally getting ready to make that big step into the "real world," and I'm glad to have the craziness of packing up my home to relinquish my nervousness.

I'm sure we'll be up packing until 1am (again), and we'll be awake by about 7:00 tomorrow to go get our keys to the new apartment.  Not to mention, we're coming straight back to the old apartment to frantically get everything into boxes for the Uhaul.  Around 12-1pm, we're packing up the UHaul with everything but a couple pieces of furniture that are being sold or given away.  We get to take the UHaul to Frisco to buy some stuff from IKEA, then to Lewisville to pick up our bed and mattress.  Once we have all of that, we get to take up space in the parking lot at our new apartment and attempt to move it all quickly to the third floor.  Hopefully, we can get everything up there in about an hour and a half without breaking any legs or backs.  After returning the UHaul, we get to try to unpack everything that night so we don't have to worry about it anymore.  I think the toughest parts will be arranging the furniture and fitting everything into the kitchen.  So, I'm sure we'll have another late night.

THEN, we get to go back to our old apartment on Saturday with our piles of cleaning supplies and get the apartment clean enough to have our deposit returned.  We'll be renting a Rug Doctor, touching up holes in the walls, cleaning stains out of the kitchen, and making sure Pongo didn't leave any lasting damage to door frames.  Hopefully, we can get there early (which I'm calling 10ish) and finish in time to go to church at 5.

If all goes well, we will have all Sunday to relax.  We won't have internet or cable yet, but we can always watch The Office or Scrubs on DVD and find a coffee shop with free wireless internet.  This would be a big help with me going in for my first day of work on Monday.

If we make it through this weekend, it will be all downhill for the next year or so.

t.a.dawson

I had my last final exam yesterday, and I can't even tell you how good it feels.  Tomorrow, Katie's mom and my parents are coming to Denton, Saturday morning I'm graduation, Saturday afternoon my brother & sister-in-law are coming to Denton, then we're going to have one big celebration.

More on this once I have some time to wind down.

t.a.dawson

As I sit waiting for the next week to go by as quickly as possible, I realize that I am virtually done with my formal education.  Of my 4 classes this semester, I have entirely completed 3.  Final projects have been turned in and presented, final exams have been taken, and good-bye's have been said.  All that lacks is a single, non-comprehensive final exam for a class in which I am currently sitting on a 97%.  The stress of school is flowing out of me like a waterfall, and I can't even voice the magnitude of my relief.

In addition to my classes, my student activities are over as well.  Phi Chi Theta has elected next year's officers and closed the last meeting, which means I am no longer chapter President.  Pike has held their last meeting and last event, and all I have left to do is purchase my stole for graduation and wait for the colony to charter in the fall.  The CCC has been off of my mind for a while, but I will still attend free lunch and maybe even coffee house next week.

And now, in 1 week and 11.5 hours, I will be an alumnus of the University of North Texas.  I'll be moving to Lewisville into the apartment that Katie and I just signed the lease for, and I will be starting my training at American International Group (more commonly known as AIG).  I will be taking in about 5 times my current paychecks and supporting my wife and dog entirely.  We will have a savings account in place that can cover at least 3 months worth of regular expenses.  We will have a company benefits package to cover life, health, dental , vision, and retirement plans.

Now, I'm finally excited to be moving into the life I've been looking forward to for years.  I'll be an adult.  I mean a real adult, not the kind who still stays up until 2am on the weekends and relies on family to pay the bills.  I mean the kind of adult who gets up 5 days a week every week in time to shower, shave, drink a cup of coffee, and fight through rush hour traffic to get to the job that pays for life.  Yes, I'm a little terrified, but it's the good kind of terrified.  Like right before you get married... or ride on a roller coaster.  It's the kind of terrified where you know it won't be easy, and you know there will be times where the pain outweighs the pleasure, but you're willing to go through the hard to see the good.  It's the kind of terrified where you don't care how much crap you have to sift through as long as you can come home to your happy life every day.

22 years down, 1 lifetime to go.

t.a.dawson

I got the offer from Geico that I was expecting on Friday, so I've been trying to decide whether I want to work for them or AIG.  After much thought, lots of prayer, phone calls with friends, and tons more thought, I have an answer...

I'm going to work for AIG as a Worker's Comp Claims Specialist starting on June 9!  OK, I won't actually be a claims specialist for a while, but that's when they start training me.  They will take me through training courses to get my certifications and stuff, then I'll be able to get my feet wet working with easy claims.  6-18 months after I start, I'll get to move into a permanent position as a claims specialist.

I think this sounds pretty awesome... partly because I finally have a job, but mostly because I'll be in a slightly more personalized, slightly slower-paced environment where I'll be able to dig a niche for myself in worker's comp.  The pay isn't bad, and they start benefits on my first day in the door.  All I really have to worry about is the longer commute (which is 24 minutes as calculated by Mapquest, but I figure it's about twice as long in rush hour).

I'm calling AIG to accept tomorrow, so I can FINALLY be done with this long, taxing process of finding a job.

t.a.dawson

I finally got a job offer this morning! AIG called after finishing their background check on me. I had almost forgotten about them, since it was over a month ago that I interviewed with them, but they sure didn't forget me! I'm going to wait on the Geico call at least, then I'll have to decide between the 2. I'm hoping this will be an easy decision, but the positions seem very similar.

I'm so extremely relieved that this is all over. I have a safety net, and I should be getting at least 1 more call before I have to answer them. This is GREAT!

Once I accept a position, I'll let everyone know what I'll be doing for the next few years.

t.a.dawson