From c8b1a38fe22aaa8e4f6cf3e1dee97863b586679d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: José Mota Date: Sun, 8 Apr 2012 01:06:33 +0100 Subject: Convert several old posts to markdown. --- ...6-26-the-balance-of-my-trip-to-the-usa.markdown | 77 ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 77 insertions(+) create mode 100644 _posts/2008-06-26-the-balance-of-my-trip-to-the-usa.markdown (limited to '_posts/2008-06-26-the-balance-of-my-trip-to-the-usa.markdown') diff --git a/_posts/2008-06-26-the-balance-of-my-trip-to-the-usa.markdown b/_posts/2008-06-26-the-balance-of-my-trip-to-the-usa.markdown new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5177ab7 --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2008-06-26-the-balance-of-my-trip-to-the-usa.markdown @@ -0,0 +1,77 @@ +--- +layout: post +title: The balance of my trip to the USA +tags: [ personal improvement ] +published: true +--- + +Tomorrow will be a week since I left Portugal on my first attempt to live alone +and begin a new life on my own at the United States. Apparently it went wrong +and for all of you guys that actually think that, _this is my final statement_ +on this week full of adventure, risk and emotions. + +I got in the plain Saturday, July 19th 2008, 9h30am. Everything was still an +exciting mistery. Arrived at Newark, New Jersey at 3pm. [Jim +Starace](http://agencyaccess.com) picked me up to show me the town of +Hauppauge, New York. He showed me my office, my home and some parts of town. +For two days we drove to various spots like some stores for me to get some +stuff to eat, sleep and fill the house. It was an interesting weekend, we could +actually chat a little and hang out so me and Jim could get along as friends +and colleagues at work. + +Monday came. Jim picked me from the hotel on our way to start my first day of +work. A wonderful day that was. I met the boss, Keith, a wonderful guy indeed. +Everyone at [Agency Access](http://agencyaccess.com) is just lovely! I started +my role as the in-house PHP developer in order to start the project I applied +to. The whole day went just great. I had the perfect work day. I wish these +days could exist where I live. + +Then another major event came upon: my moving in. When I first saw the house +and said to me: "I won't be staying here too long, I can tell...". The house +«looked» kinda nice but it was only that. The house smelled funny and it had no +lights in the living room nor the bedroom. The floor was carpeted - I am not +used to it - and the couch was dirty. I would get a new couch cover and the +problem would be settled. I was so excited with all the adventure that I didn't +even think about that whole mess. I just wanted to experience all of it; +unfortunately it turned out the other way around. + +The first night at the place was ... peaceful. Until... the landlord turned the +TV out loud till after bed time. I had the whole bedroom lit up by the +moonlight so I just couldn't get no sleep because of these two incidents. I +managed to get some sleep. + +Next day I wake up with pain in my back from the lousy night I had. I get up, I +have breakfast and go to work. A lovely 20 minute walk in the midst of the +trees that fill New York's suburbs. The whole work day was very pleasant and +productive. I was actually enjoying working there very much, no doubt on that. + +When I came home, I felt this deep voidness inside. I was looking at my still +unpacked case, my dirty couch, my TV set and decided to chill out a little bit. +I laid on the couch with my laptop trying to chat with my friends in Portugal. +A nice time that was. When all of them were off I decided to get something to +eat. I had previously got those add-water meals so I could easily start off +with something rather than milk & cereals. So I put turn the oven on and it +didn't last 5 minutes until the fire alarm went off...! I had to turn it off so +the house wouldn't go nuts because of that. So milk & cereals it was for +dinner. + +I tried to listen to some of my music to see if I could relax but the moment I +turned the music on I felt like I wanted to dance it with some girl. Guess +what? There were no girls! Turn it off so I won't be crying. What could I +possibly do at that time (it was like 9pm) ? Nothing but go to bed. And so I +did. What happened? Landlord's TV out loud. Moonlight. I was trembling for so +much disaster. I started crying in despair. That's where I found I was having +no peace. The next morning I got the tickets and went back home. + +Life lesson: never face something _that_ unknown. I lost a lot of money on this +adventure and I must get them back no matter what. If you are reading this and +want to do something alike this, be careful! I learned a lot in this week +concerning risk taking, investing and inner joy, peace and happiness. + +I appreciate everyone's help and support. But there are three people I want to +thank with kind attention: Jim Starace, for all the incomparable support during +this week, my deepest _thank you_ goes to you; _my mother_ because she is my +mother and there is no one like her, period; [Tony +Chester](http://onwired.com), leader of the OnWired team that first offered me +a job but it didn't work. However, his concern has always meant a lot to me. My +regards to you, Tony. -- cgit v1.2.3-54-g00ecf