New Zealanders, or Kiwis, that I have met here in Ireland have given Natalie and I a lot to think about in regards to whether or not we would be able to get a 1 year holiday working visa in New Zealand. To add to our nervousness, a New Zealand guide book we were checking out at a book store in Galway informed us that
working visa spots were limited and that we should apply as soon as possible. Yikes! Well, I went back to the apartment (all lodging begins to feel the same after a while so instead of trying to remember the name of each hostel I simply refer to all of them collectively as “the apartment”) and applied online at the
New Zealand Immigration site. About 24 hours later I found out that we were approved for the 1 year Holiday Work Visa. Sweet! Seriously, I was really surprised at how quickly they processed our applications. I am not sure if we will stay in New Zealand for the next year or not, but I am happy to have the flexibility and the ability to work legally while enjoying the exotic wonderfulness that I hope is New Zealand.
Although not taken in Ireland (those pictures are coming soon), the above image adequately captures are current level of excitement.
I have a friend whose name is Jacob. Almost everyone he knows (except his family) calls him Cup. I know this is odd but he likes it and so, as a matter of fact, do I. (The fact that I had a significant part in his acquisition of this nickname certainly helps.) Cup’s name and the oddities involved with that aside, Cup will be in Italy around the 
2nd week in October. This is exciting as Cup is one of my most favorite people and the chance to travel with him is an unexpected pleasure. At this point, Natalie and I, will be traveling with Cup from the 11th to the 18th of October.
Cup’s father was a navy doctor and, as a result, Cup spent his childhood living in such boring places as Iceland, Italy, Japan, the moon, etc… As it turns out, Cup and his family still know people all over Italy so the three of us may have a chance to meet up with several of Cup’s acquainted. How cool is that?
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While in college, I was blessed enough to pick up a job with a consultant firm, as a 20-40 hour a week technical writer. This was the perfect college job. I could work from anywhere with an internet connection, my employer was very understanding of my need to put school first, and it paid far better than anything else I could find. After graduating with a degree in Secondary Education with an English focus (read: high school English Teacher) I decided to take a full time job with my current employer. As a result, I have been working for my current employer for about 4 years.
For the most part, I like my job. It is flexible, challenging, and profitable. My job provides Natalie and I with medical benefits, vacation pay, and….did I mention it was flexible? Be that as it may, continuing to work, and traveling the world for a year are mutually exclusive goals. So I needed to quit my job.
I do not like to quit things. Even when it is the right thing, it just never sits well with me. My current job was/is very good to me and I may want a chance to get it back some day. After all, it is not about about how you start - it is about how you finish.
Steps to Quitting Your Job with Something Closely Resembling Class:
- Two week notices are for schmucks: If you know you are going to be quitting your job and your boss is a reasonable human being instead of freakish sub-human without feelings, than show your employer a little bit of respect and give them at least a 1 month notice. Your boss will remember that you gave him/her plenty of time to find a replacement and they will probably return the favor in the future your next employer calls looking to find out if you steal paper from the copy machine.
- Bosses are like Girlfriends: Once again, this only applies if your boss is a reasonable person. Quitting your job to go travel the world is, although odd to your employer, a worthy reason to leave a job. In many ways, quitting a job is like breaking up with your girlfriend. If you decided to break it off with girlfriend and tell them that you want to become a monk who lives in solitude and silence, they will probably be upset. But, if they take you seriously, they are not going to think it is there fault and feel bad about themselves (even if they drove you to it as a last ditch effort to reclaim your sanity). However, if you tell your significant other that you are leaving and don’t explain why, they are bound to think it is their fault. Your boss is the same way. You are going out to see the world, not going to work for the competitor.
- Don’t Be Illiterate. Put It In Writing: Whether you tell your boss in writing first and then discuss it with him/her in a meeting, or provide your boss with written notification at the meeting, disclosing your intentions in writing is professional. Remember, you want your boss to remember you as respectful employee not a selfish bastard. Clearly, putting your intentions in writing will not assure you of a positive exit review, but it will help your boss to remember the necessary information and it cannot hurt.
I quit my job about 2 weeks ago. I used the above methodology and I think that, despite my nervousness, the meeting with my boss was satisfactory. Obviously I have not returned from my world travels and I do not know how well this will all work out. I am not sure I will want my job back and I am not sure my current employer would give it back to me. But no matter what the outcome, I feel good about not being a selfish jerk in regards to quitting my job.
After looking around the web at a number of more p
rofessional blogs, I settled on a new look. Deciding on the design for a blog and implementing that are design are not always the same. This is a lesson I should have remembered from the last time I worked on this type of project.
If you have any thoughts on the new blog design, please let me know. (HINT: If you only read this in your RSS reader, take a look at the actual site. It is worth it.) If you find a bug, you should let me know that too.
Over the next couple of days I am going to be updating the look at feel of this site. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause but I hope it will look better and be easier to use when I am finished.
