Environment to Thrive

When Carrie and I bought a house over 4 years ago, we had two rose bushes in the front of the house. The house faces north so these roses never really got the sun they needed. During the first summer we were there, they pretty much didn't do anything. We had a few leaves and the bushes themselves were about 12" x 12" x 12". There were no blooms. In the fall I transplanted them into the back yard where they got the sun. That next summer they did a little better. I got one bloom per bush. After a bit of pruning in the fall, the next summer they only had, yet again, two blooms. I was like what the heck!? That fall I added some compost and fertilizer to the soil. I again pruned back the tall canes in the fall. This spring I added some more fertilizer and compost. Wouldn't you know it, they went crazy this summer. I had so many blooms on it that the canes bent over and were touching the ground. Needless to say...its about time!!

I can equate these rose bushes to my working life. 4 years ago I started working for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. It was a good experience. I hated the work but it taught me what I wasn't good at. I am just not a salesman and can't deal with pressure very well. I want to be able to work on my own time at my own pace. I quit two years ago and started a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I was 26. A littel late, but better late than never.
In my second semester I was fortunate enough to have a class with an Engineer. Come to find he was the Systems Engineering Manager at Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems. This is geek speak for overseeing a lot of people and projects. About half the way through the semester, I asked him about an internship. He went on to say that I would have to give him my resume and he would pass me on to the HR dept and jump through the hoops. He came back the next day and said, "You know what I'll just take you resume and see what I can do." By May he had hired me as an intern with the hopes that my performance would necessitate a full time hiring. This past May he did hire me full-time!
Similar to the rose bush, my working career is thriving. I am working at my own pace with no pressure. I feel like for the first time, I am in an environment to thrive.

See Carrie's post about this exciting news