Finally, a Job

After about 4 months of searching and a couple of close calls, I accepted a job yesterday! I'll be working for REI at their headquarters in Kent, WA, a suburb south of Seattle. Although it has been fun to have some time off during the summer, I'm looking forward to getting to work. I start after Labor Day, which works out well because my parents will be visiting us over Labor Day weekend.

I will be a Business Analyst working with their Online (rei.com) and Marketing divisions; my responsibilities will be similar to what I did at Target. I'm excited about working for REI, and not only because I like shopping at their stores. They're a very respected company amongst people in the retail industry, and they've been named one of the "Best Companies to Work for in America" by Fortune magazine for the last 10 years in a row.

Really the only downside to the whole thing is that we'll have to buy a second car. There really isn't any way I can commute to REI using public transportation...Seattle's bus/train system isn't set up to accommodate reverse commuters. Although Anya could use a bus to get to work it's simply not practical (it's a 60-90 minute ride each way and is actually more expensive than driving).

This weekend and next week I'll be spending my time car hunting, which is an activity that I'm only mildly looking forward to. There just aren't very many cars out there that I like, and they all seem irrationally expensive (for what you get).