February Newsletter

I'm posting my newsletter early this month because I may be busy for the next seven weeks. Backing up a bit, I've been in truck driving training for the past three weeks and just finished, earning my Commercial Driver's License, on Friday. I have been in touch with Swift, a trucking carrier company, and have a pre-hire, meaning that I should get officially hired as long as my background check clears and I can show them that I didn't earn my CDL with my good looks. I start orientation with them tomorrow, and my recruiter just got me the orientation info early this morning. Per that info, I need to check into the hotel in which they're housing us at three this afternoon. Orientation is three days long, and I need to be ready to hit the road with my mentor driver for a six-week stretch starting at the conclusion of orientation. While it is tough packing on shorter notice than I had planned, I think the real hard part has been copying and organizing all the paperwork.

I'm excited that an employment opportunity is finally coming along. It was so frustrating applying to so many places and hearing nothing back. I'm also excited about all the travel I'll be doing, but I also have some trepidation about whether germophobia and homesickness will kick into high gear if I'm away from home for so long and exclusively using public bathroom and laundry facilities while adhering to my mentor driver's time frame. I plan to rely heavily on shower shoes, hand sanitizer, and staying in contact with family and friends.

Keep on truckin'.

Scott

January Newsletter

Getting this one in just under the wire. January has seen a redoubled effort to get a job, along with increased frustration at not getting one. I would like a teaching position, but everywhere I have looked doesn't seem to be interested in hiring for this semester. I have been tutoring math and science to a few middle school and high school students. It's been a challenge relearning everything well enough to teach it, but it has been really fun and rewarding at the same time. I only get a few hours of work each week, if that, and since the formal teaching positions have not come through, a couple days ago I finally locked in the decision to pursue a career I've always found intriguing. I signed up for truck driving school and just today I got my driver's permit and earned many of the CDL endorsements. I'm excited about the truck driving opportunity because it's a pretty sure thing that I can get a job; it's solitary, fitting well with my introverted nature; and it involves a lot of travel. Plus, it involves new, different experiences, and I value that in life.

My girlfriend is leaving for a trip with her family tomorrow. She lives out of town anyway, but it's odd knowing she'll be out of state. We're able to work around the distance, which is good.

Life keeps rolling otherwise.

Scott