i am still alive and working!

Picture by Diego Rivera

LIFE! For a while I felt as if I was living real life; however, now that I have gotten a taste of what real life is I have come to the conclusion that what I was living before was a fantasy experience. College was heaven on earth… yeah it was tough at times, but the experience itself was amazing. Being able to sit under a tree and study, chatting with friends while grabbing a coffee, going to the gym to take Pilates classes, or simply having time to sit and decipher Rousseau’s The Social Contract made life pleasurable and fascinating. The most important aspect of school (at least according to me) was being able to travel around the world and visit places without worrying if the sky was going to fall on me. That was life! No wait…that was a fantasy world!

Now that I have begun to work full time (and thank god for having a job!) life, as most people know it, has slapped me in the face and has looked me straight in the eye with a mischievous smile showing the satisfaction that it has captured yet another victim for its slave camp. Yeah, I have finally stepped into the real world and have smelled its odor of money and sweat that have penetrated my clothes, my skin and my bones; a smell that no shower can wash away.

This sounds miserable you tell me; I tell you not really. As much as it stinks, I have entered the real world with so much excitement. It is a process of being alive…of living life. I look forward to learning new skills that will help me in my career path and of opportunities that will open up doors to I-don’t-know-where. I get thrilled at the idea that my work is making an impact on businesses around the country and potentially around the world. I also enjoy the fact that work really tests your limits, breaks you down and then reassembles you stronger and more capable.

It is not easy. The transition has made me feel as if I were riding a rollercoaster without a seatbelt…yet at times I find myself throwing my hands up in the air trying to enjoy the ride. Today I started the beginning of my fourth week at the job and I finally feel as though I have earned the right to sit down and write these words.

I am working as a business analyst at a consulting firm that does strategic consultancy for financial services companies. And man did I set myself for a crazy ride. In one week I learned so much about investing to be able to speak to portfolio managers at various wirehouses. I have learned so much about all types of securities, different investment platforms, compliance, regulations, you name it. I have never stopped learning and I know that I have so much to continue learning over the weeks, months and years. The best thing about this job is that every project assignment is different and thus I will be able to learn a lot about the financial world, not just about one sector of the industry. It is pretty exciting to be able to have a conversation with a financial advisor and not feel completely lost or intimidated. I am also very proud to be able to take on the challenge in an environment that expects nothing but hard dedication and commitment.

These past three weeks at the job I have worked 12 hour days, have taken 20-30 minute lunches or at times no lunch at all, and have come home from a long day at work to continue working 2 more hours more on my own time. I have become a workaholic! Not because I want to be one but because the high expectations at my job have pressured me to work hard to prove that I am capable of doing the job. I have carried on the responsibility and the weight of my project home and have not gone one day without falling asleep thinking about it, dreaming about it and waking up thinking about it. It has driven me insane! However, I have enjoyed the challenge and I am proud to say that today, the first day of my fourth week, I finally feel as if I have gotten to a point where I can feel satisfied to leave work at work and enjoy my personal life at home. I feel as if I have finally freed myself from the chains of being a newbie at work and have settled in to a good pace that keeps me sane.

Things to remember as I continue my journey into the real life:
1. I must remember to have a balanced life- as hard as this may be because of the expectations at work, I must remember that life is not just about making money but also about enjoying time with family and friends
2. I must remember to breath, to pause and to enjoy the ride
3. I must remember to have my tea in the mornings with a little breakfast, eat lunch and eat snacks throughout the day (I have lost weight at this job for not eating)
4. I must remember that my home is sacred and no place to bring in the stress from work – try hard not to bring work home (I was doing this out of pleasure! Crazy girl!)
5. And my last one, I must remember to not become a workaholic!

cooking pepian with my mother

This past Sunday I decided to take it slow since it was the last day of freedom I had before I started my new job. Tony and I decided to spend the morning at the Jack London Square farmers' market. We had the most delicious samples and an amazing brunch. It was so great and to top it off, the sun was blasting away. In the afternoon my mother came over and we relaxed in my backyard while drinking some mixed drinks.

After relaxing my mother showed me how to make Pepian, one of my favorite Guatemalan dishes. I was so surprised to find out that this dish requires a lot of spices...and ones that I did not expect such as cinnamon. I loved it, especially spending time with my mom! That dinner was crazy good and thankfully Eddy-Spaghetti was able to join in the feast.

My mother working hard in the kitchen...happy to hear Tony's iTunes; they like the same kind of music...

Me, pretending to help...really the second picture is more accurate!

Our delicious meal!!!!! and that rice was to die for!

my wedding is featured at green wedding shoes!!

My wedding got featured on the greenweddingshoes.blogspot.com! I am really excited Jen from Green Wedding Shoes chose it and published it to share with her readers. I promise not to post more on my wedding (unless it gets published somewhere else : )

Copied from the blog:

Real Wedding: Karla + Tony in San Francisco
I love the work of photographer Jonathan Canlas, so when he sent over this beautiful wedding from San Francisco I was super excited to share with you guys. Thanks also to Karla for answering some questions about the day. I love her color palette choice of pinks, yellows, and blues. Congrats Karla and Tony, your day looked beautiful!


Favorite Memory of the Day?
It is so hard to choose a favorite memory of your wedding day. However, one of my favorite memories of the day was walking down the aisle. That was the moment I had been waiting for since the day he proposed to me. The anticipation of waiting for the doors to open and then seeing him waiting for me at the altar created such a wonderful emotion that it makes me tingle every time I think about it. From a distance I could see him waiting for his bride and his eyes were sparkling with tears.


Any advice for those planning now?

If you are not planning on hiring a wedding planner or a day of the wedding planner the key to a successful day is being organized. Creating a list with detailed deadlines allow the bride to stay on top of things and ensures that things get done on time. What helped me stay sane the day of the wedding was handing off the responsibilities to a very trustworthy friend. Make sure that your friend is updated with all the wedding information and is able to make decisions the day-of. This will allow the bride to be relaxed and focus on getting married and not on the issues that may arise.

Anything else you would like to add?

I was able to save money on doing a lot of things on my own. All these details require time and effort but it is so rewarding when you use your creativity to make your event shine. Invest your money on what really is important to you (for me it was my photos) and save on the things that you can do yourself.