#NerdsUnite: The Sweet Isn't as Sweet Without the Sour
<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Eric. He is a MAASSTTEERRR social dynamics expert that will be talking about his experiences in the field from both an expert, and experience perspective. He's not just saying "this is how to get the girl" he's here to share his actual life stories and lessons learned from them. I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT ERIC !!</editorsnote>
#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @Redolpho
Have you ever almost broke down in front of your brand new boss? I almost did.
I was sitting on the steps of a Hollywood hostel in tears. My bag lay next to me packed with the majority of my belongings. I had been hired just 48 hours ago for a job that would provide me with a roof over my head. 10 minutes before I was scheduled to start I was let go and sent on my way. As I sat there in tears it felt as though everything was lost. If you’ve read my last piece you know that I finally got up and kept going.
I started knocking on doors and calling numbers of hostels with a bus-able distance. No luck. As I was moving around Venice and asking around everyone kept pointing to the same place. They said that there was a hostel that always needed people. They were much bigger and it’s high season for travelers. I knew about the hostel they were talking about. I had already emailed my resume, dropped one off in person, and followed up multiple times. No response. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong but I knew that I had to keep trying.
I’m sure that the receptionists were starting to become annoyed as I incessantly called requesting to speak with the owner. I called and called again. FINALLY he was there and I wasn’t waiting around. I asked if I could speak with him but he was in a meeting. I didn’t care, I was going to wait until he was free. I grabbed a copy of my resume and headed to the hostel. If this opportunity didn’t work out then I had big challenges ahead of me. In my head I had already figured it out. I would grab my bag and some cardboard, find a sharpie and start hitchhiking up the California coast. With the little money I had the train wasn’t an option. I have always wanted to see Vancouver and I have friends there. Hopefully along the way I could find a hostel that would trade labor for a bed.
I arrived at the hostel and the lobby was filled with backpackers. I sat and listened to them speak but tried not to get excited by their presence. I was using the same defense mechanism of someone who was scared of a relationship. I didn’t want to get my hopes up only to have them shattered. The job that I was there to apply for may have already been filled.
Four hours went by, the sun had gone down and the owner was finally ready to see me. He was kind of a kooky fellow but he seemed nice enough. He grilled me on my resume and I was ready. I have been in business long enough to appreciate the person who pries and pokes. These people are doer’s and are in the process of making a decision, they aren’t just talking or being dicks.
He proceeded to tell me about what the job entailed and the type of people who have seemed to fit well. All of these types were to be me. We got to the end of the interview and he told me that I was to start two days later. As he took my id and went to the copy machine I choked back the tears. I had done it. I wasn’t going to sleep on the streets and I was going to start a new journey. I walked back outside and headed back to my office that had been my last temporary living situation. I stopped on the way back and fell into a crouch. My head fell between my knees and I let the tears go. Relief, joy, happiness, they all flowed through my body and the rush of emotion was almost overwhelming.
After I calmed down I started thinking about my path and the moment that I was experiencing. I again texted Jen, who has become a mentor of sorts, pushing me into myself and my truth. She made a very clear point. It was time for me to stop looking to other people to show me my path.
It was time for me to carve my own way. To stop looking for answers and to start creating solutions for myself. The world will not give you anything, you have to go out there and get what you want.
I thought about a conversation I had with an employee of the hostel who had been traveling for three years. When I asked him how he had been traveling for so long his response was simple, “If you look there is always a way.” He is right but you have to be looking. You have to put in the effort and be willing to go get that thing that you want.
This is my truth and my path. It has already started and I feel more secure in this than I ever have before. Manifest destiny, dream with open eyes, stay present. These sayings have been wringing through my head over the last 24 hours. It’s time to own my life. I know what it is that I want and that I need. I must do it before I don’t. Here goes everything!
#thatisall
If you’d like to share your stories please feel free to tweet me at @redolpho or email me at eric dot rudolph dot carrillo at gmail dot com