Overload

Whew. That was an exhausting week. My new job is equal parts amazing and scary as hell. As I mentioned before, the standards and expectations are very high. People seem to put in long hours and high performance is demanded of them. Everyone is Type A, and I worry I will struggle to keep up rather than stand out. On the other hand, the company is incredibly successful, the cafeteria food is insanely good while ridiculously cheap, the health insurance is wonderful, and there are two coffee shops on campus. So there are a few nice perks.

Another thing, it is a campus. Multiple big buildings with huge underground parking lots. I have been in classes all week, trooping from my office to the training rooms, to the cafeteria. I have gotten lost about a dozen times, randomly wandering around and going up and down flights of stairs until I stumble upon my destination.

I have that uneasy feeling right now like I am standing on a rickety platform in choppy seas. I can't get my bearings. I am notoriously directionally-challenged, and anyone would have a hard time on this campus. And, the volume of information and what I will have to know and what I will have to be able to teach to other people is quite daunting. I wish I was myself three months from now, comfortable and well-trained.

My strengths are writing and organization and public speaking, and that's why I was hired. But a lot of emphasis is of course on technology and my head swims when the instructor is breezing over VPN and Cache and other foreign words while the software developer hires are nodding.

So, it's scary. But also exciting. I feel a little more comfortable each day. On Friday I actually parked my car and got to my office without a problem. But then I had to have someone escort me to my boss's office. Ah well. I'll get there. I hope.

--MM