Since joining in the company as a real deal engineer I have found that it is a strange feeling to me. I can sign paperwork and people come to me for answers rather than ask me, then I have to ask my manager for his approval for anything that I do. Co-op was a good preparation in workplace environment, but it doesn't really prepare you for all the new things that come with being an adult. Along with the new job came benefits, the best and easiest to figure out was vacation time! I get two weeks per year, a week of personal, and three floating holiday. The harder things to figure out, the not so fun stuff is the healthcare benefits... Couldn't my parents just continue to make all the decisions and figure out the details for me?? I guess that would be wrong, because it does come with the job (but I did have my parents help me choose the "right" plan).
Right out of the gates I had plans for a few vacation days, I had been part of the senior design team that had won the senior design competition for UC's PACE forum. This was very exciting because of all the hard work put into designing and completing our project to where we finished for the next years group. Since we had won and the team was invited, on UC's dime to attend!, I surely wanted to go and present our work. But now that I was working, I had to ask my manager for time off. I had just started and now had to ask for days off, talk about nervous for the outcome! The forum would be in Vancouver Canada and I would be gone for 4 days. He was a little hesitant and curious as to why so soon I wanted days off, but he agreed when I told him that we had won a competition to go. Really he just wanted me on the job to continue my few weeks of training that I should be completing.
I attended the conference in Vancouver, which is an amazing city and a place that is so incredibly beautiful that I just wanted to stay forever. We enjoyed the competition, which we were hoping to win more awards, but found that we were less than prepared compared to the teams from around the world. We won second place in one of four categories, which was no simple task. But when we weren't competing we were exploring. We took it as a vacation rather than a learning experience! We rented motorbikes to get around and went downtown to see the city, as well as visiting a beach. The time there was a blast, but seemed to go by way to quickly. Which means, it's eventually going to be revisited at some point in the future.
When I returned to work, I trained for a few weeks in production and with incoming parts. I got thrown into as much as I could handle and took on as many tasks as I could. Since starting I've come a long way in my young career. I've been trained in so many areas of the company, which is great that my manager allows me so much latitude to learn and trusts me enough to put me on tasks when he feels I am ready. I have been trained on new equipment (robotic CMM's), new systems, and procedures. I have my own desk with a cabinet and drawers! I have books on my shelf and pictures on my walls of the cube! I have acquired business cards with my name on them! I have been working on developing relationships with the people I work with and really just enjoying my time. I feel so blessed to have been placed in this company and be involved with the people I'm around. I feel like having this position has been a great outcome for spending five years of my life studying to get here. Sometimes it is challenging, dealing with new situations that I've never had to deal with before, but it's all an adventure that I take with stride.
I've been here since March so far I honestly have enjoyed learning as much as I have. My manager is great, he provides me with plenty of work and I'm constantly challenged with the work I'm given. I also have been able to take time off around Thanksgiving and Christmas to spend with family and friends. I'm excited for what the future holds for this job, if things keep going well, I hope that I can make this a career and stick here for many years.
The engineering world is way different than college world.
I don't ride my bike everywhere...
I don't get extended breaks throughout the year...
I have more money than before...
I have to be completely responsible...
I don't get to hang out with my friends... (and I severely miss them!)
I am living in Walton, KY in an apartment by myself. Erica lives about 20 minutes away in Dry Ridge, KY by herself. The difference there is extreme from college days, the apartment while nice to have my own space, is very quiet. I've decorated it as time has progressed, but the personality is only mine. I don't get to experience decoration from the six other people I lived with for an entire year prior to now. I miss those days, but understand that life leads us in different directions. That is why I've really tried to get connected in this new place I've found myself. Not that I'm trying to replace anyone that I miss from my life. I simply just have to get connected and make this place feel like home.
I chose to live where I'm at because it is an hour from my parents and an hour from Erica's parents. We are able to visit our families who we are close with on a fairly regular basis. Erica and I have found a church in the area, which was of utmost importance to us. We went around to a few local churches that people had recommended to us. The first was almost a mega church, where we didn't feel welcome because of the size, we felt like a number. The second was a tiny country church, where we felt overly included because of the size... Not for us... The third place we researched on our own and took some time to look into it before we went. We discussed denomination and beliefs and what we really wanted to find at a church, that is how we wound up at Florence United Methodist. Just right! We immediately felt welcomed and felt included, everyone was greeting us and wanted to get to know us. God really had his hand on us finding this church and leading us where he wanted us to be.
Outside of church Erica and I have been spending quite a bit of time together getting to really know each other better. We try to split our time together at my place and her, but usually wind up spending more time at mine. My place is much closer to activities to keep us occupied. The other fun thing about my place is that it allows me to cook as much as I like and Erica to help me enjoy the food. :) There is also a really great park nearby, called Big Bone Lick. There are buffalos, a lake, and some trails there (also lots of fresh air!). The only real downside to my apartment is the noise. It is close to I-75 and I can always hear the low hum of semi-truck tires... Not the ideal way to be soothed to sleep, but it's what I'm calling home for now. My walls have become decorated with some pictures that I had taken and I've been working on taking more. I also have tried to include some of the remnants of the ranch by bringing the street signs with me. I haven't done so yet but I plan to decorate one wall with the stop sign, surrounded by car pictures.
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