Kaitlyn, daily

The bad news - I think my days of reading blogs, swooning over pinterest, stalking facebook, and reading Perez at my desk all day are coming to an end.

The good news - I got a new job!

Up until this morning I was a little bit freaking out inside. My contract at my current job is coming to an end. This job has been ok and I've learned some good officey stuff but I'm over it. The problem is that my visa is up in a few months and I can't get a new one until November. So from September - Novemeber finding a job would be pretty tough until I have that little piece of paper that employers love so much.

Now it's the afternoon and I'm a little bit freaking out inside, but the good kind of freaking out. The excited kind! I've got an HR job!

Last summer I did some unpaid work experience in the HR department at Ash's work, Edexcel. It was a funny coincidence because I actually met the son of the Head of HR when I was in New Zealand and I got the job through him.

During my month there I met a guy named Pedro who works for a recruitment company that hires a lot of people for Edexcel. He gave me his card and was the one who set me up with my current gig. About a month ago he got word from Edexcel that my manager when I was there is pregnant and is taking a year maternity leave. He suggested my name right away. They said I was pretty much the coolest unpaid employee they ever had, but that they needed some one at a more senior level. Well a month has gone by and they weren't able to find someone at a senior level willing to take just a year contract. So they called Pedro and asked him to get in touch with me. Pull me off the bench coach I'm ready to play!

I'm going to be in over my head but it's a great team of girls that I already know and they are all willing to help me out. I'm going to try it for 3 months and go from there. The amazing news is that this covers me until I get my new visa. Then, even if they do let me go after 3 months, I'll have a visa + a few months experience as an HR Coordinator. Winning!

They want to get me in immediately so I start next week but they are ok with me having 3 weeks off in September for Thailand. Our vacation is going to be that much better now that I can lay on the beach and know that I have a job to come back to. Not that I will be laying on the beach thinking about work, but at least I won't be stressing about finding a job when we get back.

So I can't promise that blog posts will be ''daily'' anymore. But I will not neglect you little blog of mine! I promise to keep you guys updated on life here in London as much as possible.

ps - see you for Christmas, NC!! :)

Where I've Been Wednesdays . . .

It's been a while since I've done one of these posts, but this week I have a very good reason to write about one of my favorite places in the world - and that's because in just over a month, I'm going back there! Never in my life did I imagine that I would be lucky enough to visit Thailand once, but now I'm about to venture there for a second time. Excited is an understatement.

I CAN NOT WAIT.

I wrote a bit about my time in Thailand here. And even though that was an awesome experience, that part of Thailand isn't the part that sticks out the most in my mind. This is . . .

Northern Thailand is full of jungles and hills. This is where we went trekking and rode elephants (in the post above). Southern Thailand is jungley and hilly as well, but with beautiful white sand islands. Sort of like the Caribbean meets the jungle. There's little beach huts, palm trees, and random monkeys. It really is paradise.

Thailand was actually the main reason that Alyson and I decided to go traveling. Every time that went diving on Spring Break there was always one person on the boat who had been to Thailand and was obsessed with it. They would go on and on about how it was the best diving it the world and how we just had to go there. So when we were planning our around-the-world-trip, all plans were based around spending time in Thailand. Now we are those people that can say how wonderful it is. And the claim to be the best diving is certainly the truth. It was even better than the Great Barrier Reef.

Al on a little tiny island that has 1 resort and a dive shop

Then there's the partying. There's the famous Full Moon Party once a month that is a crazy all nighter, but most other nights the scene is little bars right on the beach where the dress code is flip flops and jean shorts, just my style.

aftermath of the Full Moon

one of the best bars on Phi Phi

So, beach and diving all day and partying all night. I guess you can understand why I fell in love with this place. It's so much more than that though. Even though the partying can last until sunrise, the little islands are super laid back and relaxing, the people are extremely friendly and there's just a general feel good vibe. Not to mention it is cheap. Hour long massages on the beach for $5? Don't mind if I do. Even though the plane ticket is going to cost a bit more than if we went somewhere else, Ash and I will be able to afford 2+ weeks in Thailand rather than just a 1 week vacation.

And Ash is just as excited as I am to be going back. He spent about 8 months in Thailand becoming a dive master, and even though we were there at the exact same time, on the same islands and even at the same bars, we never ran into each other. We both fell in love with the place so going back together should be really amazing. The plan is to spend a few nights on Phuket island in an area that we've both never been and then a few nights on Phi Phi, our favorite island.

38 more sleeps until we're there! Expect a great blog post to follow!

stolen from Ash's facebook ;)

last Saturday

was rainy and dreary :( But we had an amazing day at Burrough Market. We walked from stall to stall having little nibbles while we sipped Pimms and prosecco. We bought some filet steaks, jumbo shrimp, fresh bread, sweet chili dip, and some cheeses to make an amazing dinner. Here's a few pics from our afternoon . . .

tasty pizza that I had a slice of for lunch

entering the market -

it's underneath the train tracks so mostly covered for rainy London afternoons

BF @ BM

biggest pots of curry ever

seafood green thai free samples

don't mind if I do . . .

I'm clearly very excited to be buying some wine

rainy day

Mom would've been loving this

ostrich egg and meat

fish anyone?

we brought home some of this sweet chili paste, tasty and pretty

we'll be back

What do you buy for a man that lives out of a truck and when you ask him what he wants, his automatic response is ''world peace''? No, this isn't some funny riddle, it's the question that I ask myself every Christmas and every July. This year's answer? How about a little blog post?

On this day in history, way back in 1953, William Anthony Harszlak was born. The Dad Of Me. If you read my dad's facebook profile you'll find out that he's a self proclaimed friend to many, unique personality, and legend in his own mind. Well guess what Pops? You're a legend in my mind too.

I don't know many men that take pride in being able to style a good ballet bun, but when I was little my dad dutifully pulled my hair up and bobby pinned it into place a few times a week for my ballet classes. He played dress up with me and attended my tea parties.

I'm sure many men do take pride in growing a good beard. But I'm not sure that many do it for the reason that my dad does. He looks just like Santa and spreads cheer wherever he goes, waving to little kids from his truck and making friends with strangers across the USA.

My dad celebrates New Year's Eve on July 17th and Father's Day is March 3rd is his mind. He doesn't own an alarm clock and you'll rarely see him in anything other than an old tie dye tee shirt. He's one of a kind. And it's because of his zanny, individualistic, don't give a damn personality that I can express my own. He says that people are like snowflakes, each one completely different and that's what makes life interesting. And even though he's always taught me to be myself, I'm sure he'd be glad to know that I'm proud of the many ways that I'm a bit like him.

So today I'll be raising my glass to the number one man in my life, my Daddy. I love him more than he'll ever know, I'm inspired by him, and I'm grateful and blessed to have him in my life. No matter how many miles have been between us over the years, the lessons that he's taught me are with me wherever I go.