Totally in my Element

Ooh. New travel work place. Am so comfy it is disgusting. I'm so comfy I could rock up in my pjs tomorrow. The whole day I felt like I was in a really clean, techy, brick hostel chewing the fat with a bunch of wicked travelers. But I'm getting paid for it! Laughable.

Am so happy. Now I need the free trip and I'll be in utter bliss. Yes, please. And thank you.

Oh God

The bf says he's going to hell because I made him kill a spider. I think he will go to whatever heaven is out there because spiders are evil and out to get me. Humph.

Club

I think I've been underground for too long.  Music-wise, that is.  I've gotten used to the smaller venues, grittier djs, and cool eclectic mixture of people that surround this arena.  Last night I went to a club I used to frequent quite often my first year or two in Chicago.  And it blew me away at how much I didn't fit in there.  The people disgust and depress me.  The drinks are way over-priced and about 2/3 of the place is blocked off for VIPs.  Are you fucking kidding me?

Those of us who didn't pay the $120+ to be VIP were crowded into a tiny space the size of my living room, it seemed.  I didn't realize how short I was until I stood in a field of giants, like last night.  And I was feisty!  I wasn't feeling this place one bit.  So when I finally got a sort-of, can kind of see the dj if I look underneath this guy's armpit and over this girl's hair, I was prepared to fight to keep it.  People were squeezing in like banana bushels and when the Kings of the Giants forced their giantness in front of me, I was not pleased.  

After some fightin' words (ok, let's be honest, bitchy words) from my side, I got my armpit, top of hair, spot back.  I guess working for a company that totally bitchifies their employees came to some usefulness finally.  I looked over to my left and saw this classic stereotypical club guy really going for it.  He had the mirror sunglasses on (my number 1 pet peeve in existence), the glow sticks in hand, and was jumping around like a Mexican Jumping Bean only more so.  He was nearly chewing his fucking lips off his face and was all over his date like the lacquer on my new painting.  I looked above me and saw the posey girls that belong at the horribly cheesy clubs in my neighborhood.  Instead they're at Tiesto and pretending to be dancers above the crowd in their gold stilettos, fake tan, fake hair, fake everything.  

What happened to this place?  Or...what has happened to me?  I haven't been here in a year and boy, what a change.  The bf and I couldn't take the heaving monkey pit any longer so we retired to the room next door for a much needed sit down and breather.  It was at this point that the night perked up considerably.  We laughed together and drank a shot that I found out after downing was called "A Red-Headed Slut."  How the eff do they think these things up?

Bf and I chair-danced and laughed some more.  We acted silly and drank our Red-Headed Sluts.  I think I'm done with these mainstream clubs/djs, though.  The atmosphere depresses me and I enjoy myself much more in the underground domain.  Tiesto pulled through nicely but his music doesn't bring me to Heaven like it once used to.  Sad but understandable since I know I'm not the only one to have changed.

Craving Paris

Yes, Paris, darling! I miss it. Actually, I miss France in general. I've been thinking about this beautiful city for about a month now. Then over the weekend I picked up my favorite Hemingway book, A Moveable Feast. If my craving for Paris was a seed before it is in full bloom now due to Hem.

I miss the winding streets, the old buildings that all look the same so you easily get lost, the amazing museums, and of course, le food. In fact, Hemingway describes French food so deliciously that I found myself running to the nearest specialty supermarket and grabbing baguettes, fromage, et saucisse galore. And a bottle of chardonnay, mais oui.

It was tasty and rich. It filled one sort of craving but not the larger one that seems to be occupying my heart at the moment. A friend of mine is leaving his job, selling his flat, and moving to Spain to marry his boyfriend and live in the sun. I am gob-smackingly jealous. Fist in mouth jealous. He's doing everything I would love to do but due to present circumstances is impossible right now.

"Don't worry, Kathryn, you'll come visit us."

"Can we go to Paris? I miss Paris."

"The train to Paris isn't far away. We'll go and walk Le Champs D'Lysee, peruse the Louvre, sit at a terrace cafe and enjoy an apertif."

All I can think about is an early summer morning in Paris when I was 17. I woke up and walked out into the morning sunshine in le arrondissemont of Montparnasse. There were few people out and the city seemed sleepy. The leafy street trees were like cheerful friends and the air smelled exciting and foreign. It promised good things to come. I bought a croissant et une cafe then walked along the slowly waking streets pondering a distant future.

In the meantime, in a city far away from Paris, there's always Hemingway to help fill the immediate craving. I just wish I'd stop buying baguettes already. Unlike Hem, you can only have so much bread.

Notice

To my boss:

"I'd like to give my resignation."

"What?  Why?"

"It's a great place (blatant lie) but I've found a better job opportunity."

"Oh no...I'm going to miss you (polite lie)."

"I'm going to miss you, too (total lie)."

To my co-worker:

"I have something to tell you."

"What's wrong???"

"I've found another job."

"Fuuuuuck.  What am I going to DO?"  Eyes rolling towards ceiling in dramatic silence.  Then:

"What I am going to DO???  Shit.  Can't you wait another month?"

"Two weeks was the maximum time.  I really tried to extend it (truth)."

"I'm utterly fucked.  It's ok.  It's OK.  I'll figure this out."

It's been a rough week for the people in my office.  

Party

Last weekend was really therapeutic. Lots of dancing, drinking, and having a great time out and about in Chicago. Now that summer is here we are like a bunch of freed monkeys from the lab.

Travel is gooooood

Am ditching my corporate schmoozy-boozy-sleazy-sexist-punch-in-the-neck-numbing property management job. Oh yeah. See ya weirdos. Enjoy your harassment lawsuits. I have found a dream job for myself at this place. And it is all thanks to my obsession of seeing the world.

I walked into the interview yesterday morning to see a sunny brick room with a wall covered in Lonely Planet books. Every country in sight. The manager said I looked "like a kid let loose in a candy shop." There were atlases and globes galore. My enthusiasm was a little too high and I struggled to bring it down a notch. They laughed and seemed to like me.

So now I have this wonderful great job in travel. I think my current company is going to be shocked on Monday morning. It isn't a good time to leave. But this opportunity may not come up again so I'm taking the leap. Bye bye crazy corporate climbers, hello free trips! Hurrah!