Goodbye to the "Great 2008"

The year 2008 was, among other things filled with new experiences and adventures for me. The year began in Monmouth, Oregon for me, which was an adventure in itself. From there I entered my final Collegiate term as an Undergraduate at the University of Oregon. I could definitely tell that things were winding down for me there, playing a much smaller role in Allen Hall Advertising, and taking less intense Advertising courses. Following Winter term, I spent my first Spring Break in Oregon since entering college in 2003. I most likely would have gone somewhere, or got myself into an adventure if I wasn't going to Maui with my parents and brother for my moms 50th birthday in April. So it wasn't all that bad staying home for a week. I decided to stay in Eugene for Spring term and live in my house through my lease(which ended in June) and work enough to support myself. I also joined the River Ridge Golf Course's College Membership program for $195 for unlimited golf for the term(which was a savior!) I didn't plan very far ahead, and ended up having to work for a Temp Agency(something I would not recommend if you have dignity). My first assignment was at the Golden Temple, which sounds like it would be cool, an organic cereal factory on hwy 99 towards Corvallis. My job consisted of placing 12 cereal boxes into a larger box, and sealing it up. This job only lasted eight hours, to the supervisors amazement(she claimed it normally took a temp a minimum of 16 hours-two full days to finish). My next job took place at a company called Towers Marketing, which sounded very promising; me being an Advertising major and all. I began to get suspicious when my liaison at the Temp agency tells me "show up at 8am with clothes you don't care about." I come to find out that it is a printing factory. Not only that, but we specialized in Conservative political signs. We also made a great deal of real estate signs. Woo-hoo! I worked a full 40 hours that week, and might have fibbed a little when I said I was leaving for Maui on Tuesday(really on Thursday) and that I would like to be reassigned somewhere else following my return. Don't get me wrong, they did insist that I could pursue a career there full time! After spending a relaxing week on the beaches of beautiful Maui, I returned to Eugene for my last couple months. I only worked one more week for the temp agency. This time at a packaging factory in Springfield, Oregon. They made me feel real important there, providing me with earplugs and protective glasses. This company really tried to keep me around, offering several promotions through my first and only week there. I once again requested not to return, and following a call from the temp agency asking if I would like to take an assignment that consisted of wearing a frog costume to an elementary school, I decided I had had enough of the Temp Agency. Luckily my neighbor, Jon, helped me land a position as a sub for the Eugene YMCA for the last month in Eugene. I ended up working about 20 hours per week, which was enough to survive. I also had a lot of time to get out and take advantage of my golf membership. I ended up graduating from the University of Oregon June 13th with a degree in Journalism: Advertising. That was the ending of one chapter, and the beginning of another. The five years I spent in College were the best of my life thus far, from all the friends I met to all the things I learned and experienced. I moved back home to Clackamas following graduation with the hopes of getting a job, and moving out... But that obviously wasn't the case since I sit in my room at my parents house jobless as I write this. I took a road trip down to San Francisco to visit some friends following my graduation party. While in SF, our trip was cut short due to an interview at Adidas, that didn't end up working out... After that I began to get frustrated and bored at home, so when Dwight came calling, mentioning that there would be an opening on "the boat" up in Alaska for the end of the season, I became intrigued. It would be a great experience monetarily as well as an adventure. I really enjoyed my time up there, and am glad I made the decision to go up there. When I returned in late September, I decided to dedicate my time to attending college football games and making up for lost time with friends. I attended games at Autzen(4) Reser(2) and the Coliseum in LA. I needed to keep busy, so I ended up working a couple part time, limited duration jobs to finish out 08. The first one was a Brand Ambassador position for Venom energy drinks, which was very laid back, and fun overall. I would say Venom has had a lasting impression on my friends... The next position I took was a Driver Helper position with UPS for the Holiday Season. It was also a fairly fun position, minus the Arctic Blast I had to maneuver around to reach the Clackamas Town Center everyday for work, and the various run-ins I had with very random people... My Christmas and New Years were pretty uneventful, but enjoyable. Overall, my 2008 was full of adventure and firsts, although I hope for a more stable and successful 2009!