Well, technically I’m in the Bay Area, but pandering to an international audience here 😛
So, my visa’s up tomorrow, am flying back to Sydney today.
I’m sitting in my version of heaven, Red Rock Coffee, for one last blast of smooth coffee goodness, and my mind’s whirring with a dozen thoughts and emotions.
I don’t wanna leave. The more I stay here, the more I wanna live here. (And it’s not just because of the coffee too :P)
The best thing about this trip were the people. I’ve met so many awesome people I now consider friends. So many people both here in the US and back in Aust have been so generous with their care, time and efforts. It’s truly humbling. I got lucky that way 🙂
It was a hard slog. Being in a strange place, not knowing many people at the beginning, withdrawals from leaving work I truly loved, the highs and lows of job hunting, being crap at networking, not having a clue, the uncertainty…. Now that I think about it, no wonder there were times I felt overwhelmed!
I would do it all again, even though I’m returning without a job. (There are a few things on the burner, but nothing’s confirmed yet). So I will. I’m gonna come back in July and give it another go. I feel like I haven’t given it my absolute all, and that bugs me.
Wheeee! The adventure continues! 😀
I would say to anyone considering doing the same – Go for it! It ain’t easy, but it is (mainly) fun, and at the every least, it’s a good experience. Oh, and drop me a line, we’ll talk. 🙂
So it’s my last day at Tangler. That’s right, I actually resigned from my position. Who woulda thunk it?!
Occasions such as these tend to trigger reflections, and I’ve had a fair few running through my head. Gotta get em out before brain implodes.
First up, a beeeg Thank You to my awesome team – everyone I had the pleasure of working with. (I shan’t name names right now, they know who they are!) You’ve become my teachers, my friends, my mentors, my supporters. I’ve been thinking back to my first day at work, and the thing that stands out to me is what an incredibly educational journey the past 3+ years have been. Turned a N00b into a semi-geek, you did. 🙂
I also have to acknowledge all the amazing people I’ve met through my stint at Tangler. There’s a special group of cool, crazy and charming people I couldn’t imagine life without – my fellow Tangler and TanglerLive addicts. [See ya in our forums ;)] Also, the ever helpful and generous Sydney and beyond startup/geek/web community. So many people have gone beyond the call of duty for me. I owe many a *insert cold/hot beverage of choice*.
The immediate question I get when I tell someone about this is “What’s next?”. The simple answer – another startup: Me!
I’m not completely done with Tangler; I’ll be consulting with them on an ongoing basis. And I fly to San Francisco in about a month. The long term goal is to work and live there.
~Flashback~ I remember a couple of weeks after I started working at Tangler, I turned to Marty and said, “This is it. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I’m a startupper!”
Nothing’s changed. I love the startup life, it’s what I wanna do forever and ever and ever. I love the roller-coaster ride that it is, the teamwork it requires, the innovation and improvisation it lets me indulge in.
Hence San Francisco. Can’t wait to being smack in the middle of Startup Central! 😀
We’ll see what happens. It’s both thrilling and terrifying – what in the world am I getting meself into?! Egads!! – but I’m chuffed that I’m giving it a shot. After all, that’s what matters doesn’t it?