#2- Going places...

What I loved about my job was the fact that I could break up the monotony of being in the office with regular client visits, with some visits taking me to beautiful countrysides. I've had the opportunity to work in the Hunter Valley (a wine country in NSW) for the past 3 years and it was only last year that we took full advantage of our free time and paid some wine estates and olive groves a visit. Don't get me wrong...it's not all about fine wining and dining, I was working for a mining client hence I was out at one of their mines. It was great being able to see what our client does on a day-to-day basis.

Part of the office building.

Dirty coal.

Mining machinery

On one of the days, having finished our work way before deadline, we snuck in a few hours and headed to Pukara Estate- which is an olive grove. It was here that I tasted delectable olive oils and vinegars, and it was here that I was educated on how to distinguish between quality and generic olive oils. I will never go back to normal olive oil again! The real thing is so amazing- you just can't compare.

Hello olive trees!

Look at the selection of olive oils and vinegars on display. I particularly liked the EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), chilli olive oil and balsamic vinegars.

Mmm...I bought 4 bottles to take home. Prior to the visit, I never knew of the existence of so many varieties of oils and vinegars!

Our lunch tasting platter- with olive tapenade, vinegar, olives, olive oil, dukkah and some sort of cheese. 

On our last day on the way to the airport we made a quick pitstop to Bimbadgen Estate for a sneaky glass of wine. Lunch was at Esca in Bimbadgen.

It was too chilly hence we chose to sit inside, otherwise the weather was perfect.

Rolling hills and blue skies.

Seared scallops on creamed corn with pancetta

Wood spit roasted duck with shitake mushrooms and greens

This was a winner- ocean trout in pastry served with salmon roe and creme-fraiche

And then my other jobs have given me great views. Normally in the office I have no view whatsoever...I have no idea if it's raining or sunny outside...

....so I changed my wallpaper to something that's happy to look at! Alexander McQueen Skull Clutch come to me!

I wouldn't mind sitting in this room working away when I've got such great views. 

And then taking a break in this well-stocked pantry

If you were a guy who followed AFL you would be jealous of the next room I worked from. Ok, maybe not jealous as there wasn't a match going on at that time, but still....! It's a corporate box overlooking the Etihad Stadium!

Up close and personal with (imaginary) action! :D

And finally, having lunch overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge....just beautiful...

Looking back at these pictures I really do miss the travel opportunities- but it's only onward and upward from now! :)

#1- Secondment to the USA

I was very lucky to have been picked by the partner on my main engagement for an internship to the US only 10 months into my job. This will forever remain as one of the best memories I'll have during my time working with my previous employer. This happened when the AUD was almost at parity with the USD, and I was given a per diem...so it almost felt like all my expenditure was paid for! I went crazy buying stuff that we couldn't get in Australia....but if I were to be sent over to the US now I would've bought so much more! 

I was flown into LA, had to take a connecting flight to Dallas Fort Worth and then transit to Miami, Florida where all the interns were gathered. I scheduled my flight a day earlier so I could check out the shopping malls hehe. Me and my roomie (there were 2 of us sent over from Australia) were put through a couple of days of training with the rest of the US interns and were given a night off to have fun in Universal Studios in Florida. They closed part of the park for us and we had 4 rides all to ourselves!

Our hotel room in Florida- during our week of induction.

After training and induction week was over, my roomie and I had to part ways. She was sent over to work in Washington and I was to be based in Los Angeles. I was put up in a beautiful apartment suite on Wilshire Boulevard (east of Westwood Village), aptly nicknamed 'Millionaire's Row'. I loved my apartment, it felt so cosy and I immediately felt at home. It was a stone's throw to Beverly Hills, UCLA, shopping, food and entertainment. Perfect location. 

The walk-in wardrobe. It's much bigger than it appears in the picture above as there's heaps of space on either side.

The guest bedroom.

The living room.

The dining area.

The kitchen- where I prepared a few meals for myself.

The huge, sparkling white bathroom which I loved. Two sinks! Huge benchtop! <3

The master bedroom.

This is where I spent most of my time working.

Now... onto the infamous US food. Servings are massive. Roomie and I checked out Red Lobster while we were in Miami- we had no idea where to go for dinner and popped into this place. This was the shrimp platter I had. I could barely finish it...when I was done it looked as if I barely touched this dish. I'm not used to tipping at the end of the meal either!

Mmmm...cheesecake factory. I had the most delicious peanut butter caramel fudge (I think?) cheesecake EVER.

The very famous In-N-Out burger- only available in the West Coast. This is where they serve your burgers wrapped in lettuce if you wanted to remove carbs and didn't want to have the hamburger buns. Look at this greasy goodness. It tasted delicious!

My and my team had Pinkberry everyday! This was absolutely yummy (borrowed this pic from the Internet....I'd forgotten to photograph my daily Pinkberry habits). Slightly tart frozen yogurt with mochi (mmm) and whatever toppings you desired. 

Now, onto the shopping...unfortunately when I was sent over I was still quite junior...so I wasn't earning enough to fund my big wishlist!

Rodeo Drive for all your branded luxury items.

Sadly, I could only afford to window shop :(

Santa Monica Boulevard...

Santa Monica coastline and theme park...it was foggy the day I visited.

I managed to get a few things :D

Oh, and I almost forgot. When my team and I were having lunch in Westwood during my last day there, guess who walked into the place where we were eating? Non other than Benjamin McKenzie (most popular for playing Ryan in the O.C)! My buddy went up to him to request a picture for me to complete my LA experience, and he was kind enough to oblige! Yay. The day before, my buddy bumped into an actor from Grey's Anatomy (I think?). Stars just seem to be everywhere in LA. I also attempted to locate Kitson but got lost as I'm really, really bad with reading maps. 

This sums up one of my most memorable (and favourite) working experience...look out for my next post! :)

Reminiscing about the good old (work!) times...

Those of you that know me in real life would know that my last day at work was last Friday. Some of you might be surprised to know that I resigned without having secured another permanent job, but for me I've always believed that 'fortune favours the bold.' Being securely employed means a guaranteed stream of income, but sometimes...this makes you complacent and afraid of change. I do not wish to be comfortable. I want to take myself out of the comfort zone and do things I would only dare when I'm still young. I have no commitments, no mortgages, no responsibilities...so what better time to realise my dreams other than now? 

I started my foray into the working world 3.5 years ago with a reputable Big 4 professional services firm in Australia and I have no regrets. They have been the best 3.5 years of my life. I've learnt SO much in that span of time, and I'm ready to take my skills and venture into the unknown. I've achieved the goals I set out to- I'm proud to say I'm CA qualified and I was promoted to Assistant Manager prior to leaving. I've made lifelong friends and will forever remember the fun times we had during the Christmas parties and Annual Balls. Join me as I take a trip down memory lane and write about the events that have left a mark in my journey.