Been an unusual few days so unable to post for a while. Was in Los Angeles with Abiy for a day, then rushed down to San Diego for the weekend. Remembering the same route in San Diego May 2007 when I was just getting here after leaving my day job at Deutsche Bank. That feels a lot longer then a few years ago….so much has happened to me….all over the world….
San Diego was a good choice for me after leaving my NYC back in April 2007….it allowed me to unwind….keep costs low, I remember making the decision to quit my job when:
1) Business was doing ok – the bar products business was paying dividends and because partners there wouldn’t let me buy in more, I started another company, Shadstone Sourcing, that would help people buy from China, as I was having trouble doing so for my bar products business.
2) Had built up enough savings – at the time, most of my savings was in an internet savings account paying like 5% interest, those don’t seem to exist anymore…but I was pumping as much as I could into that account to save up
3) Year end bonus had came in – Deutsche Bank paid its bonus out in February, not end of december, not a big deal, but a factor in the timing
4) NYC apartment lease was expiring – I always hated those THIS IS YOUR SECOND NOTICE FOR RENEWAL OF THIS APARTMENT LEASE letters coming in the mail…and I was under pressure to renew, move to another apartment, or leave NYC.
5) Piotr in San Diego was looking for a roommate – Piotr quit his job in Connecticut and drove across USA to San Diego, to find a job and start a new life! he had been in San Diego already maybe 1 year, and his roommate had just moved out and was looking for a new one….so…sounded good to me, I paid him cash, month to month, and it was 3 blocks from the beach in Ocean Beach! Perfect transition for me
6) Was getting depressed – As I blogged a couple weeks ago, I was riding an emotional rollercoaster ….but why, people said you have a great, well paying job, on Wall Street at a global bank….you live and work in the city. Why wasn’t I happy? I knew I needed change….
7) Wanted to travel more – think another factor why I wasn’t happy was I wasn’t traveling as much…wasn’t adventuring…..I wanted to see the world….meet people, do international business. And my company wasn’t offering any of that. I tried to apply to positions within the company that were in Hong Kong, or in Milan, but it seemed too difficult with their inter-company job website….I know some others in the company that also left because it was too hard to travel.
8) MBA wasn’t for me – I had been saving my money for 2 reasons / choices, to start my own business, or to go to MBA school and then start my own business. I was attending the KAPLAN prep classes for the GMAT test to get into a top MBA program…and I remember at those night classes going around the room, everyone wanted to get an MBA to get a higher paying JOB! When I said I wanted to get an MBA to network with entrepreneurs and start my own business…I got a lot of confused eyeballs in the classroom…so I decided MBA wasn’t for me, I had to learn by experience.
So being here in San Diego again makes me think of that thought process…..that transition…..working so hard….trying to develop my own company…build an international business.
I have been spending a lot of time with Piotr, and now he has since moved out of Ocean Beach, San Diego, and is married to a great woman Stephanie. He has always been a top blog reader here, and supportive of what I do. Have had some talks with him this weekend….reflecting, planning. He is in a similar situation, his family is all in Connecticut, and he is out here in California, will he stay here his whole life? Will I stay in Asia my whole life? Family, friends, etc.
Anyway, its just funny years later I’m back in San Diego….making plans, thinking strategically…hoping to spring myself to the right direction.
Comments
what a nice picture
have to make copy
like the dog
weather must be great
Thanks dad, u can copy the photo onto your computer