Ellicott City

This Yank is happy to be out of the South and into the land of diversity and wonder.  Well...maybe Maryland isn't that magical...BUT it's a helluva lot better!  It's also so nice to be in a REAL hotel again.  At the Staybridge, not only do they have more than decent cable, but also a fitness center, and towels that do not double as mini pumice stones!  Tonight we went to Ellicott City for dinner.  I'm so amazed that no one mentioned this during our first time here.  Thanks to Katie's suggestion, we ventured.  It was like stepping out of corporate America and stepping into a cute little town in Scotland!  Old buildings, hills, small little antique stores (most of which weren't open, unfortunately); it was so up my alley!  I was thinking that there weren't any good areas near Columbia, but now I know that if an awesome position opened up in the corporate office, I could DEFINITELY see myself living in Ellicott City!

Phase II of training is definitely going to be a challenge!  I'm SO not technically minded, and this is all about servers and databases and interfaces and other things over my head...  I learned a lot from Katie, but there were times where I was focused on something else, she did it really fast, or even I thought I understood it at the time, but now I'm already lost.  I'm not really worried about it because I know it will come in time.  I just have to be focused on the task at hand.  I have much more of an optimistic standpoint on this job as of late.  I think a lot of that is the influence of some wonderful people!!  And a lot has to do with getting tired of complainers.  I am a firm believer of making the most out of a situation.  Where the last trip to Maryland was super hard and emotional for me, this is a whole new ball game (and I hate baseball, so why did I use that analogy?  No idea...).  I'm more prepared, more focused, and most importantly: more experienced.  I've spent 3 weeks in Branson, something that I thought would kill me.  And I can actually admit that I, for the most part, had a good time!  OF COURSE I would have rather been home.  OF COURSE I would have liked less time there or a better site...but I can't change it.  I can be jealous, but I can't change it.  It is what it is, and it'll make or break me.  When I feel like I'm breaking, THEN I'll be done.  

But not yet!