As I sit here in our new home in Tucson with our menagerie of furry friends, I reflect on my past and my present, having seen the circle completed. You see I departed the Southwest in 1994 after finishing my initial education in Graphic Design and headed to Seattle on a new adventure with my closest friends at the time. Life was definitely challenging at first as I didn't know what was in store for me and without a plan, navigating an unfamiliar city was a bit daunting. Luckily I met some really great people in Seattle who were genuine and welcomed me into their fold with open arms. I spent the first couple years getting to know the city, the seasons and of course the abundance of coffee.
My first full time employer was a small family run answering service. I spent many hours answer phone calls for city businesses and elite and eventually diversified my experience. I went on to become part of the sales and payroll team and helped lead a new team dedicated to developing and implementing the companies first website.
In 1997 I had a great opportunity due in large part to a dear friend of mine to meet with a team at Starbucks Coffee Company.
The interview process went smoothly and I was offered a job that same day on December 12th.
That day provided me with more opportunities than I could imagine at the time and I am forever grateful for the following 21 years. During that tenure I was fortunate enough to work with some very amazing people who cared deeply about what they did and how they could have a positive impact on each other. I led teams of dedicated individuals, led projects to simplify the organizations needs for streamlined processes and learned more about my abilities and potential than I could have imagined. I am very thankful for those many wonderful years as they also led me to where I am today, returning to my passions.
How does one return to their passions? Well for me that meant continuing my pursuit of a bachelors degree with a focus on 3D character design for film and game. That also meant that the work I was doing full time as a systems analyst with some of the best people I could hope to work with needed to no longer be my focus. So this year we, my lifelong partner and soulmate, decided to cash in our chips and move back to my home town of Tucson where I can dedicate myself fully to my second act while reconnecting with family.
Now back in Tucson I am in awe of the beauty that exists having not been able to appreciate it years ago. Each night I'm presented with a picture perfect post card full of vibrant yellows, oranges, reds, and purples. Each sunset a stunning and inspriational presentation of light, color, and shadow.
I am so very thankful to all who have played a part in my first act, who have helped guide me, helped cheer me up when I was down, lended a hand when I needed one and to those who brought their joy to the lives of those around them. Thank you for sharing a part of yourself and for allowing me to share my truth with you as I embark on my truest second act.
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