The Ritz and Deloitte and Cancun

It's hard to believe it has been almost a week since Thanksgiving. I had a great time hanging out with family and meeting new friends :)

During the break, I found out that Marriott owns the Ritz. Somehow, I'm just discovering this and if you know me, you know why it's huge news. I'm about to start upgrading all my trips. #fancy #thingsyoulearntalkingtoyourbrother

And, I miss my DMV friends. So much. It has become unbearable. So, in a couple of weeks I'm reconnecting with a couple of my favorite ladies in Cancun for a pre-Christmas/Happy Graduation celebration. #funtimes

And speaking of the DMV and DC and graduation, Deloitte Digital came calling! Deloitte is a huge fan of my UX program and they've been advertising the flexible, remote work schedules available to their UX Engineers. My first official long-term side job after graduation? Maybe. I'm not sure they allow Engineers to work part-time. I've been invited to the Arlington office for an open studio event later this month to find out more. And UX Engineers are PAID. Like, I might go out and buy a Benz...or just pay off my student loans, lol. Who am I kidding?

My job is going pretty well. Except I have to get over being so reserved and introspective. Yesterday, for example, I was sitting in a meeting with the library director and a most of the other librarian assistant professors and he asked an open-ended question. Literally everyone else gave their opinion and I sat, and listened, and thought, and did not say anything even though I had a brilliant idea. Seriously. All this brain power, but it takes a while for me to verbalize my thoughts and I'm a bit of a perfectionist and my own worst critic. It will be my downfall if I don't learn to get over it.

I've come such a long way in the past 5 years--this time in 2010 I was a new professional hoping and praying that Howard University would hire me and barely making ends meet. A lot of hard work and a few years later, I'm planning random trips to Cancun, staying in fancy hotels, kicking it with great friends, and considering offers from the best in business and academia. I feel so blessed! Though, I was telling a friend about how much things have changed, and he said, 'Eh, you're just peaking'. So, I started singing 'Own It'. lol. #leDrake



Hugs and kisses peeps,

Bethany.