Work Remotely

One of the things I most coveted in finding a job was the ability to work from home. As most northerners know, this snow is no joke and I remember the frustration I felt when I experienced my first winter. I would try fruitlessly to dig my car out of the snow. Living in an apartment building, the plows lovingly piled the snow up against the cars making it impossible to move if you didn't have a shovel. When I was finally able to move my car, the first thing I did was buy a shovel and keep it in my trunk.

On those morning when my car was snowed in and had no idea of moving, I would spent the rest of the day pouting as I couldn't get to work and 'earn money' while Kunal was busy working away. Major downside of having a lab job, let me tell you. After that winter, I made every effort possible to get to work, even if the weather was absolute crap. I hated letting the weather affect my job.

With my new job, I get a handy dandy laptop to carry around which lets me work from anywhere I want. This has been SO awesome since this winter is particularly nasty. I don't think I've gone to the office for a full week since my first week here! It snows weekly and when it's still snowing in the morning and throughout the day, getting to work is tough. I"m so thankful that I can log on from home and still get things completed on time.

I planned a trip to Chicago for a week since I thought I was going to be unemployed after the holidays. My manager was extremely flexible and let me work remotely so I didn't have to take a week off unnecessarily. As much as I can't stand the snow, I will miss working from home. It felt so productive because I can do so much while I work. Working 8 hours straight is difficult and breaks are necessary so you stay alert. Instead of getting tea or water, I can go put in a load of laundry or vacuum when I need a quick break from work. And since I don't have to worry about traffic, I can work later than usual since I'm already home. And I mean, when you're snowed in alone, what else is there to do other than work? It's a win-win all around in my book!

Hawaii is for Honeymooners

I wanted to backtrack and talk about our trip to Hawaii. We went in November and it was amazing. We were extra spontaneous and decided to change our tickets and fly out a day early! We literally jumped out of bed, threw clothes in our suitcase and drove to the airport. Thanks to the many, many miles Kunal has flown, we booked our first-class tickets (is there any other way for honeymooners to travel) on miles and we were able to enjoy the perks of traveling in style.

Being on East Coast time, we woke up way too early the next morning. We decided to go on a early morning hike up Diamond Head. It was a bit tiring but the views were absolutely amazing and worth the trek. Below is a view of Waikiki Beach from the top of Diamond Head. We also went to the zoo, it was just a typical zoo. I feel that I've been to better ones before.

We went out for a fancy dinner where the food was AMAZING. Top of Waikiki is similar to some the Marriott hotel restaurants that revolve ever so slightly so you get 360 views of the city.

We also took a booze cruise which was super fun but slightly exhausting. Being in the hot sun and drinking on a boat was the perfect recipe for called it an early night that evening.

One of the coolest things we did was underwater scuba scoots. We went out to Hanauma Bay and we rode this scooters with a scuba helmet on top in the water. We saw turtle and so many fish. For those who know my fear of putting my head under water; it was a bit of a ordeal but once I was calm, it was a very cool experience. 

We wanted to experience a Luau so after much research, we picked Germaine's Luau to attend. It was lots of fun but a bit tiring. Dinner was amazing and definitely induced a food coma which made watching the show a bit tiring and long. 

We always wanted to ride around Hawaii in a red mustang and I'm happy to say that it can be crossed off our bucket list! We drove literally all over the island and had a blast with the top down. 

We always enjoy local breweries and wineries so we decided to check out Kona Brewing Company. The actually brewery isn't on Oahu but one of their amazing restaurants is there and both the beer and the food were great. If you ever make it out that way, get the roasted garlic and bread. One of my favorite dishes.

Who doesn't love pineapples and we knew we had to go to the Dole Plantation. While I wouldn't recommend  the gardens, the train ride and the pineapple maze were educational and entertaining. I clearly do not have a good sense of direction so Kunal was in charge of leading us through a giant maze in the shape of a pineapple. It was really fun even though it was super hot. Below is a picture of the Dole Whip that is very very tasty.

Our last stop was Pearl Harbor. I really regret not doing this earlier in the week because we got there too late to actually make it to see the Arizona. It was very peaceful serene memorial and I'm glad we went even though it was late in the late. 

I'm Back!

For doing so well the first year I had this blog, I have severely slacked this past year. I am going to try to make at least one entry a month to get back on track. I'll try to back post so I can talk about my travels. To sum up the rest of my 2013, it was fun and flew by rather quickly. We had many weddings and trips to keep ourselves busy. We celebrated many engagements and weddings of our nearest and dearest and were so thrilled that we could be a part of such a special moment in their lives.

Our summer was relatively low key with just a few weekend trips here and there as Kunal was working from home. He started traveling again late summer but unfortunately, I couldn't make any trips out to California. His new project takes him to Chicago and started around Labor Day. I've visited twice so far and hoping to make it out once more before his project ends.

I started a Master's program for Regulatory Affairs for Drugs, Biologics, and Medical Devices in the fall. It is an online program through Northeastern University in Boston. It takes up a good chunk of my free time but I am really enjoying it and hope it will open up the right doors for me career wise.

Speaking of career, I no longer 'playing with makeup' as of January. It was a bittersweet three years at L'Oreal but I am glad for the change. I currently work at Johnson & Johnson and I'm very excited for my new role. It gives me insight on the RA world and challenges me daily which I love. I'm glad to say that I am one step closer to having a "grown up" job since I get a company laptop and I'm able to work from home every now and then. This has been a lifesaver with this awful weather we've been having. Snow, sleet, freezing rain, you name it, it's hit us.

Juggling my busy work schedule, online classes, the house, and trying to make time for friends is proving to be a little difficult. I'm start combining socializing with another aspect, such as now I get to see one of my friends on a regular basis because we work out together. It's nice to have someone to huff and puff with and to be held accountable since it will prevent us from succumbing to our willpower and not working out.