It's almost May in Minnesota

I can't believe its been five weeks since I was last in San Diego. I can't lie and say I don't miss it on an over cast and rainy day like today. It's almost May and there is still rain here but on the brighter side so many great things have been happening for me.
I have been attending networking events like crazy! Some have been very motivating which have pushed me to polish my resume, make more phone calls, and get my name out there. I have a South Metro group in which I have been asking for a lot of advice from the Veterans. I am the youngest and most enthusiastic one of the bunch (go figure right?). I have been pushing myself to attend at least three networking events a week. I have also been reaching out to everyone I have met so far since my move to network and ask if they know of anything.
In addition, I was contacted through LinkedIn for a job at Proforma. Proforma is actually a franchise for resources in print, promotional products, and marketing services. I was offered an opportunity to work as a Marketing Consultant under 1099. I didn't commit initially because I really wanted to do my background research on the group. I also learned more about 1099 than I ever thought I would before. I have been on 1099 in the past but I didn't do my taxes so I didn't know how involved it is. With 1099 you have to pay:
Self Employment Tax
Medicare Tax
Social Security Tax
Unemployment Tax
Medical
Dental
All of these various elements come out of your paycheck. The benefit is that I am able to choose my own medical insurance for a individual plan that works for me and I get a lot of tax write offs. It seems daunting initially to think about working 1099 because there is so much you have to pay out of your pocket and you don't see the money, if you get rebate, for a year later. I have also been hesitant about this opportunity because they don't cover any of my business expenses and expect me to work from home. It's a lot to think about especially when you are starting from scratch. What is hard is when you need a job your willing to accept just about anything that is presented to you. Should I hold out? Should I commit? This could either go really good or very poorly. Then, you have to think of the implications of this on your future career. When you want to get into a big agency like Fallon, Olson, or Carlson are they going to look at the name Proforma and think who? This has been my biggest dilemma in my one week back to searching for a job.
On a lighter note, I am going back to San Diego for Debbie Stewart and Travis Shain's wedding and I couldn't be more excited. I am honored to be ask to be in the wedding too.
So ta ta for now. Until next time...Ciao!

Welcome to Minnesota

Yes, as many of you probably already know I moved to Minneapolis earlier last month. It was a big step in my life but I am happy to have done it. What many people don't know is that Minneapolis is a big city with many affluent people. The Twin Cities is home to many corporate head quarters such as Target, Best Buy, 3M, General Mills, and many more... This is a huge job market which is part of the reason I have decided to move here.The other part was I moved for my boyfriend I met in Italy a year ago named Elliot Botten.
So much has happened since my move! Elliot and I were house sitting for two different family members so we were going from house to house. While house sitting Elliot's Mom and I were cleaning the condo so we could get it ready for all the repairs. Many of the upgrades and repairs we have decided to do ourselves with the carpenter skills of Elliot's dad Bruces help. I have learned many new handy skills such as laying click wood flooring, installing tile, putting together furniture, painting, and many more. You never thought I would be so handy didn't you? lol I suprised myself! I think growing up watching my parents build a house really helped!
We will be living down town near the new Twins stadium in a refurbished warehouse converted to condos. It is really neat and the location is very metropolitan with lots of restaurants and bars nearby. I am very excited to see what happens to this area after the stadium is complete. I think it will be like Petco Park in San Diego. We are hoping to be able to get settled sometime in the next two weeks.
I am constantly being asked about the weather and I must say it hasn't been too bad. Initially, it was a little colder in the mid 30's (Fahrenheit) and I even was able to experience some wet snow (which was beautiful and melted by noon) but its warmed up significantly since then. What has been amazing is that regardless of the temperature you always see people walking, jogging, or cycling along the roads. This area is very active, probably a result of the cabin fever they have been experiencing.
My parents drove my car out from California and visited me which was a wonderful treat! We had a blast visiting the surrounding areas and being tourist. We ate at the famous 5-8 Club a Juicy Lucy which is a hamburger with molten hot cheese in the middle. If you haven't had one before you need to because it is delicious! We celebrated my dad's birthday at ChinaLatino which is an amazing restaurant with an infusion of Chinese and Latin food. My dad got to wear a bandanna with the yin yang symbol and learned to drink a sake bomb. Also during my parent's visit, Elliot's mom Sue made a delicious Pallela which I wanted to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner the leftovers! Elliot's parents and mine got along great. They truly developed a nice friendship at the end and were sad to see one another leave. During my parent's stay they even looked into condos in the down town area. Who knows maybe my parents will end up moving here too!
I haven't had a lot of time to commit to the job search since I have been exhausted working on condo or entertaining my parents during their visit. After we move into the condo, hopefully in the next week or so, I will be back to the job search. In the meantime I have joined a couple networking groups which I plan to attend soon. Everything seems to be falling into place. The more people I meet the more I get my name out there. I had an informational interview last week with the Marketing director at Allina Hospital and Clinics who is going to pass my resume and information along for me.
So that is my update from Min-ne-sota, yah!