Inaugural Entry, or, My Quest for Fulfilment

Hello, all.

Some of you may or may not be aware that I previously dabbled in a blog over last summer, with the intent of chronicling my job search. This, for a couple of reasons, did not work out. Mostly, it had to do with the fact that I took the process, including the many rejections, far too personally, and wasn't thrilled at the prospect of sharing them. That, and, since graduating college, my stick-to-it-iveness is lacking.
Now, I find myself in a place that feels increasingly different and similar to my situation last summer. I am living in New York, no longer at home, and I have a job that pays my bills, but it's not one that satisfies me further than that. I am lucky to have my job (as a receptionist for a financial firm), but my feeling of restlessness and desire for something creatively challenging are ultimately the same as when I first attempted to blog about them.
I have decided (with some inspiration and nudging from others) to be active instead of passive, and, while my job search continues, look for other ways to apply myself and fulfill some of my whims and serious goals. Like:

• Taking my writing seriously, which would involve other people reading it.
• Learning more about wine, something I find equally delightful and intimidating. I'm looking to remedy this by finding a part-time job in a wine store. Why pay to take a class when you can learn (and drink?) on the job?
• Giving back in some way. A lot of the volunteer programs I'm currently looking at involve literacy and children, although I am very open to new ideas and suggestions.
• Cooking, in a baptism by fire sort of way. Again, why spend money on a class when I have an Alice Waters cookbook & a tiny Manhattan kitchen?
  
• Trying (in the long term, which for me means in the next 1-2 years) to get back to Europe, preferably Italy. Still attempting to figure those specifics out.
  

I'm taking a hard look at things I've always wanted to do and trying to make them happen in a regulated way, ie. keeping myself accountable for taking action and going after opportunities I want. This is where you come in.
I've always wanted to write a regular (as in, every day, we'll see how that goes) blog, but to have it focus on something specific that I could reflect on each day. Thus, this blog now exists (check one thing off the list!). Through this little outlet, I want to both keep myself on track, and share my progress and adventures with you along the way. I'm hoping to include everything from things I write to tales from the job search and everything in between, depending where the journey takes me.

Ultimately, I'm looking to take life in a new direction, and hoping to share it with you!

Thanks for reading this ridiculous rant of self-discovery (I hope I don't sound like a walking cliche), and I will be back tomorrow!

x-Francesca