new year, new job, new home...

Well, guess what? I'm changing jobs...again. I know, I know...

But it had to be done. When I first arrived in Dublin, I had three job interviews and the company that was my number one pick, called Xsil, hired someone with specific industry experience (can't really compete with that when the industry is lasers and semi-conductors!). But they told my recruiter they were very impressed with my interview and would keep me in mind for other positions...

I never thought I'd hear from them again, but just before Christmas I got a call from my recruiter. Xsil had had someone leave their team, and they called my recruiter and asked her if I would be interested in the position. So I went in for an informal meeting with the manager, and the next day they offered me the job. And it was pretty much a no-brainer answer...

The job is basically everything I've been looking for -- working in a writing team of 5 people with a direct documentation manager, using Framemaker as a documentation tool instead of the much-hated Microsoft Word, and having the kind of training and support that's been so lacking in my current job. It's also a bigger company, has a social committee, and is in south Dublin in a much nicer area.

Needless to say, I'm delighted. I'm really excited about starting the new position, which will be on Monday... I'm hoping it's somewhere I can settle down and stay for a few years.

And along with the change in jobs is a change in living situation. The commute from where I'm currently living would be over an hour each way by transit, and I wasn't very happy where I was living anyway, so it all worked out well. I found a simply gorgeous apartment in Sandyford, sharing with one other woman, about a 20 minute walk from my new company. It's so nice...new, modern, airy, and bright. My bedroom has a small balcony off it, and I have sole use of the main bathroom. I simply can't wait to live there -- moving day is tomorrow!

In other news, I'm going to have my first visitor from Canada!! My friend Cathy is coming to Ireland for a week in March, over the Easter long weekend. We're going to visit the Aran Islands, off the west coast, and I'm super excited about the visit!! I'm also planning a weekend trip to Bristol to visit my friend Kristine who is living there for six months with her husband and their son who was born just last fall. I'm hoping to visit the famed Stonehenge while I'm there!

My new mailing address is:

97 Bracken Hill
Sandyford, Dublin 18
Ireland