It is not my plan to blog much about my new job, but as it intersects with our life I will definitely make mention of it.  Before I get too far into it I wanted to take a moment and talk about the differences I am seeing from the work I have been doing for the last few years.  These thoughts are impressions only, and in no particular order, but I am sharing them in list form because that is where my head is now.

• Benefits are awesome – I was truly grateful for the comprehensive lists of benefits I have access to and all at very affordable prices.  Many of these items I let go as a self-employed person but was happy to pick up again such as life insurance and dental insurance.  Although a limited number of my jobs over the last few years had some benefits, nothing to this level.
• Contributing to Retirement is nice – Having access to 401K plans with matching is great, and being able to take funds directly out of my paychecks makes it all very easy.  I am happy to be regularly contributing to my retirement again, which is not something I was able to do much of the last several years. 
• Comprehensive On boarding – Instead of minimal training and being thrown into the deep end of the pool immediately, I have been given the time to understand the structure and culture of the company.  Every person I have talked to has been super helpful, and genuinely seems glad that I am part of the team.  Certainly I have seen some of that over the last several years but I also ran into numerous situations where I was treated with suspicion if not outright hostility as a new person. 
• Mentally challenging –  Right from the beginning I have had to stretch my brain, and thankfully I am finding that although it may be a little rusty I still have lots of good information in there.  The big trick for me is to not make assumptions and instead take things as they occur .  Returning to a company I worked for previously has definitely given me a leg up in this area as many things have stayed the same.  There are definitely some big changes as well and I am learning about them like any other new person. 
• IT setup is still a pain – I started off well with a laptop shipped to me and access to lots of things I needed, but I have been “stuck” on several items and its been tough getting those things pushed through.  One by one I am checking them off the list and since its a common problem everyone has been super nice about any restrictions I might have with IT systems.
• Working from home is great – Lee and I are still working out the specifics of sharing the space.  I have set up a desk area at the kitchen table so he can use the main desk area and he’s using earbuds to watch TV or listen to podcasts so the noise doesn’t distract me.  I have been on phone calls for 5 plus hours per day and he’s been great about that.  The biggest issue has probably been Jack.  He is used to being the boss when I am home, but now I am not able to play with him or go on walks on demand.  He’ll get used to it eventually and in the meantime Lee has been trying to keep him occupied.
• Really loving connecting with people – It’s been wonderful reconnecting with people who I knew from a long time ago, but even the people who don’t know me are treating me with a level of respect that I truly appreciate.  I don’t have to prove anything to anyone, and my skill set is taken at face value.  This is a HUGE improvement over the jobs I have worked the last several years and more than anything else has made me very happy with my choice.

I understand it is early days yet and I am certainly still in the honeymoon period, but so far so good.  I am finding my changed perspective on many things from my experiences the last several years is serving me well.  Looking forward to being assigned some projects and really diving into the work in the next couple of weeks.

Supporting our Blog

We very much appreciate your support of our blog. You can help by doing any or all the following:

• Make purchases via our Amazon website links.  There is no additional cost to you, and a portion of the proceeds help support our blog.  Search Amazon.com here.
• Purchase the ebook telling the story of how we became full-time RVers.
• Purchase our recipe book filled with 80 recipes we have cooked in our RV and taste tested by Lee himself. You can purchase the kindle or paperback version on Amazon or buy the Apple version on Itunes.