Back From An Extended Hiatus

After an overly long hiatus and at the encouragement of an old friend, it is time to start documenting the world travels of duck once again!

I wrote several draft posts which I never got around to posting.  Odd to read back through these and have an adverse reaction to the emotions I was feeling at the time.  Shows you have fast life can change direction, flip you on your head, chew you up and spit you out.  Needless to say, those posts are now deleted and shall live on only in the world of meta data.

Here is what you missed in the last episode (yes, I have been watching way too many marathons on Netflix recently. Don't hate. There were so many great series I missed over the last couple of years.)...

2010 - What a crazy year... Started full of love and adventure (see previous blog posts). The world was my oyster.  Ended with a lot of stress and hard feelings.  Cracked pearl.  Katy Perry said it best when referring to her ended relationship with John Mayer ... a beautiful mind and a tortured soul.

2011 - A new start....  Back home to San Francisco.  Living the "dream."  Dreams, however, were more than I could have wished for; they require sleep.  I threw myself head first into the "dream" of BigLaw at one of the top IP law firms.  Blessed to work with some of the brightest, coolest people I had ever met, only later to be betrayed by those "cool" people (see 2013).  Working exceptionally long nights and most weekends, I survived the year.  Feeling the need to be me again, international New Years was reinstated.  I met up with an old friend (and some new ones) to spend a week traveling through Colombia (separate post to come). 

Hands down one of the best trips to date!  Coldplay will forever live in the memories of that trip ...

When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach
So she ran away in her sleep
Dreamed of para- para- paradise

2012 - Was I conscious? I don't remember much of 2012 other than staring at my computer screen for 14 straight hours a day and taking power naps under my desk at work.  Honestly, as I sit here, the only memorable thing I can recall is my crazy cokehead roommate changing the locks the day before I was supposed to move out and the police being involved at 9 pm on a Friday night. 

2013 - Ok life, you have my attention now ... I am conscious. The start of the 2013 made 2011 look like a cake walk.  Those who know me well will attest to my general lack of trust in the human species; it likely stems from a shitty sibling relationship growing up, confirmed by a shittier relationship in my early 20's.  A warning to all you soon to be lawyers out there that are considering BigLaw ... unless you're willing to be unethical and back stabbing ... stay far away.  It is no place for genuine people.  Used, abused, and then betrayed by my "mentor" and a particular partner that required me to work most nights and weekends .... I went looking for greener pastures and I found them. 

Through a friend I met a phenomenal woman, Jessica Hudak .  I joined her company (www.hudakgroup.com) consulting medical device and biotech start up companies looking to manage and develop their IP strategy.  What a difference it makes to know the work you are doing matters and to like the people you work with.  I thought I was a strong and driven person; she blows me out of the water. 

And just as life felt like it was finally back on the right track ... I got a call out of the blue.  Life sure has a sick sense of humor sometimes, doesn't it?  A company in Miami was looking to hire a new analyst ...