hawaii, i have a job!

who ever knew the north metro career center was actually inside the georgia department of labor? i didn't. and in the time it took -- i had prepared -- to get from my loft to the location on north druid hills road, i was late. it was 9:03.

the nice young lady almost gave me a heart attack. i couldn't go in, she said. i just stared. but then she said... music, please... you can come back at one. phew! alright. i was still alive. the chance that jumped out in the ajc the day before and the same one i prepared hours for was still an option.

i scurried back home... have you ever seen traffic in that area in the morning? it's nuts. i didn't get home until almost eleven. i took advantage of the few minutes i had at home, taking a nap since i didn't sleep well the night prior. it was like my first day of school; i couldn't sleep no matter what.

it was at 12:35 that i returned. even though i really wanted this job, i used the time to peruse through the publications lying around advertising yet four million other jobs, most of which i didn't want.

promptly at one, we were invited to a conference room where a projector was set up with a 'if you don't have this, don't apply' type message on it. i knew because i had researched this job that i did yet my nerves could never get the hint. my palms sweated. my mind raced.

jack eased all that, though. he was the recruiter who encouraged us to be silly, ask questions (wrong thing for me as inquisitive as i am) and just be ourselves. he needed to see our personalities, he said.

obviously he did and like what he saw. after the presentation and an interview, he invited me to come to work on the pride of america, which cruises around the hawaiian islands. apparently, he thinks i'll make a great bartender.

when he introduced me to the group... all who were offered employment were, the others just left... i felt as if i had won an academy award. me. i had a job. the weird thing is, though, i have to wait for it.

haha. i have a physical tomorrow. then wait around two weeks for training assignments, which last three weeks. once i pass, they'll give me options as to when i want to hop aboard. for me, it'll be as soon as possible.

i've thought this through, believe me. i have several pages of notebook paper where i've written all my thoughts. i've written pros and cons. holidays, birthdays and special days i'll miss. (i'll be gone for five months.) all that stuff.

still, though, i want this. i want to get away. i want this experience. i want the money that i'll make so that i can be a little less in debt. i want to get back into the habit of reading the bible and thanking God for what he does. i want to write more on my book (which has changed a bit... but for the better, i think).

i'm really stoked about this. i really am. really.