A Little Busier

My work schedule has informed me that busy season is officially upon us. Gone are my 40 hour work weeks with only 25 of them billable, in come 55+ hours of chargeable work. It's definitely a change of pace. I've been getting to work at about 7:30am and leaving at 6:00pm five days a week and not taking an official lunch. Honestly it hasn't been discouraging, though. I am a creature of routine and find comfort in it. I get to work, turn on my favorite Pandora station (a customized Mumford & Sons one), check my email, write a to-do list for the day, and get started. Coffee is always close by. The mornings go by really fast and I feel really accomplished by the time I get hungry for lunch. I also try to get up and walk around every 45 minutes or so because I'm terrified of the health consequences of sitting for 10 hours straight. Afternoons go a bit slower because my brain gets tired and I realize how much I still have to do before I can go home. Luckily a lot of the work I've been doing is new and exciting to me so each project has its own perks. For example, I got to actually call a client and ask her questions as I worked on her tax return! Pretty neat. 

Busy season will last until at least April 15th. I thought it'd only go until March 15th for us because we deal mainly with corporate tax returns, but I was informed that we also have a TON of partnership clients whose deadline is the same as individuals (4/15). It's going to be a long two and a half months but I think I'll be able to handle it. Supposedly we get spoiled to make up for our long weeks and are provided with a lunch at least once a week as well as snacks of our choosing. I asked for a lot of fruit and veggies! So help me if the other tax associates asked for donuts and candy...

I'm hoping to stay healthy during this hectic time of year. It's already hard that it's winter and outdoor activities are limited, but then only getting a few hours a night to be active makes it even more difficult. Luckily Garrett and I bought an elliptical, some weights, and a weight bench after Christmas during some great sales so I have options. I actually like coming home and hopping on the elliptical for a half hour or so as I watch an episode of one of the shows I enjoy but Garrett doesn't! It helps relieve tension and make me feel better about the day before I have to go to bed. There's a big "busy season" joke in the tax world about gaining 10 pounds and never sleeping and I really hope that's not the case for me. I hope to keep up some sort of routine and eat healthy so I not only feel better during busy season, but so I don't have to spend the next few months undoing all the damage! This girl's gotta be beach ready for our trip in May!

One thing I really like about my job right now is how easy it is to become involved in different projects and committees. I've discovered that I really like to be part of something that doesn't necessarily have to do with what I do for work. When I was in college, I was really involved in an accounting club but moreso for the social aspect and the community service. I loved thinking of new projects and ways to get more people involved. I was worried that I'd get sick of this job if all I ever did was come to work, do what I had to do, then go home. I need something to work different parts of my brain! I've been able to participate on the Christmas party planning committee and the KPMG Network of Women (KNOW) group but now I'm part of something new to our office. Before Christmas, we partnered with the Anchorage School District and donated some items and food for a program they were hosting. I helped deliver the stuff to the district office with a group of three other people and on our way back we talked about other ways we could donate in our community. We thought up a really cool idea about "adopting" a family from the area and it's actually been quite a hit in the office! I'm now part of the "core" committee and was appointed the position of Vice President by the other core members - I'm so excited about it! I love being part of something big and I can't wait to see what we make happen. It makes coming to work more inspiring because my job puts me in a position that I am able to give back and there's nothing I love more than helping people.

It's getting really cold here now and we have at least four inches of fresh snow (finally!). I'm excited about the snow but not about the temperatures. It's supposed to warm up again in a few days but it's keeping us from playing outside very much. I'm hoping we can get some exercise and outdoor time today and tomorrow if we just bundle up well! Too bad we don't have snow shoes or cross country skis yet!

Denali from the office!

Seeing Some Sights

The transition back to work last week wasn't as tough as I thought it might be. For a few days, I was the sole representative of the tax department because everyone else was either at training, at client sites out of town, or still on PTO. I was a little nervous about not having any resources in the office, but luckily I had some training to catch up on. I think this next week is going to be more of a transition because everyone will be back in the office and my projects will get kicked into gear. I hope they ease me into 45-50 hour weeks and don't just start piling it on! It's been so nice having to try to get to 40 hours...

My New York City friend I met in October at training came for a visit this weekend! She initially visited one of her college friends in Fairbanks and figured she'd come down to Anchorage to check things out and see me. I thought it was so cool that someone I met less than four months ago was willing to stay with us! It was fun having a guest. She came to work with me on Friday since she also works for KPMG and it was cool to see her in my office. Usually we just chat throughout the days on the interoffice instant messenger! 

I left work a bit early so I could show her around downtown Anchorage before it got too dark. We walked the main blocks and I pointed out some cool restaurants and landmarks. We walked to the coastal trail and killed some time before going to the happy hour event planned for my office. We hung at that for a while and I introduced her to some of my audit friends before heading back to the house.

I had a ton of stuff planned for Saturday because I wanted her to see as much of Anchorage as possible! The three things I promised her were:

1. See pretty scenery

2. Go to Kincaid Park

3. Find a moose

Fortunately you don't need to wake up very early right now to be able to see the sunrise, so we slept in until about 8:30. We got bagels from our favorite bagel place in midtown then got on the highway to head south of town. It was such a beautiful morning to see the sunrise! The sky was filled with pink, purple, and blue clouds and the water was crystal clear and calm. We pulled over in almost every viewing point and took pictures as the dawn colors continued to morph and extend across the sky. It was definitely one of the prettiest the inlet has been that I have witnessed so far. We all took our fair share of pictures.

We continued on past Girdwood and decided it'd be a good day to visit Whittier. We drove through the long tunnel and were happy that it wasn't raining on the other side (which is rare). It was foggy but so peaceful and stunning. We pointed out glaciers and waterfalls as we drove around the bay and up to the creek Garrett and I stopped at a couple years ago with Mammaw and Bill. We walked along the shore and out of the cove until we were at the edge of the bay and could see all of Whittier. We scanned the glassy water for signs of otters and I swear I saw some! We all admitted we would have no problem staying there all day enjoying the tranquility of the ocean and the slowly moving fog atop the glaciers but there was still so much to do. 

After leaving Whittier, we stopped in Girdwood for some donuts and made our way back to Anchorage. The lighting was beautiful and it was amazing to see how much the tide had gone out since that morning. We went straight to Kincaid to show her the beautiful views and to hopefully see a moose. We went to the main entrance to first time and began walking along the Planet Walk/Coastal Trail but it was busy and we doubted we'd spot any wildlife. We cut off after a while and began trekking through a more dense and remote area but still didn't see a thing. I was not satisfied so we tried the other entrance that we have used the most and made it there just in time to watch the sunset! We all ran up the dunes to the best viewing spot and got to watch the sun slowly sink across the inlet. The sky was filled with oranges and pinks. If I had some sort of chair, I would've sat there for eternity. It was perfect.

Unfortunately we still didn't see any moose. Every other time we'd visited Kincaid there was at least one moose ambling about nearby but of course they were elsewhere when we actually wanted them around. We had basically just given up as we were driving back home from Kincaid when I spotted two young ones laying in the trees a little ways from the road! We stopped and I pointed them out so Michelle could see them but I really wished they would have been standing so she could get the full effect. She was happy enough with that viewing but as we drove down the road a bit further, there were two more munching grass! We backed up and were within throwing distance from a mama and her baby. Michelle was so happy! We all took plenty of pictures and were finally satisfied with the moose sightings for the day.

We dropped Remy off at the house then took Michelle to Cabela's because we figured it would be interesting for her to see all of the wildlife native to the western US. I'd never paid much attention to the displays before (I'm not big on dead animals...) but it was fun walking around the store like it was a museum. After that quick jaunt it was off to Tommy's Burger Stop for delicious burgers and fries followed with a semi-relaxing evening of checkers battles and reviewing our pictures from the day. We had to drop her off at the airport around 10:00 last night so it was a very full day but so worth it. We're hoping we convinced her to come back again!

A New Year

It's 2015! This exciting new year already has a lot in store for us. I'm facing busy season as soon as I get back to work which ends in March/April, Garrett will be busy at work with two big projects (both indoors, luckily), we're meeting our friends in Mexico in May, my sister is planning a visit up in June, our first full Alaskan summer will be cherished, and possibly a trip will be made back to Montana in September. 

A year ago, I was panicking about taking my first of four CPA exams on January 9th. We had just returned to Bozeman after spending a week with our families for the holidays. Before that, we had our honeymoon on Isla Mujeres in Mexico - flying out the same day I finished my last final exam of the semester! It was a hectic time. This holiday season was very different and I welcomed its relaxed arrival. I am so glad I'm not facing another semester of school or a CPA exam right now! 

2014 didn't go very fast for me which is abnormal considering the previous five or so years seemed to zoom by. It could be because I didn't have a job for much of the year - just participated as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for a few months in the spring - and thus wasn't having to rush back and forth to school and work. I spent all of my free time studying for the CPA exam from January until August. I tried to remain active physically and socially but man, studying really burns you out. After graduating in the late spring/early summer, I spent every day from 8-5 prepping for my tests. Remy and I hung out at the house all day, me with my head in those darn review textbooks or staring at my computer screen doing hundreds of multiple choice questions, until Garrett got home. The summer was long, boring, and strenuous for me as I forced myself to stay on track. Thankfully I passed all four tests! 

The only month that went quickly was September. We had to move out of our Bozeman apartment, get all of our belongings back to the Bitterroot, try to soak up as much quality time with our families and friends in ten days, drive from Montana to Alaska with a trailer packed full, hurriedly find a place to live in Anchorage, move everything in, and be to work by the first week of October. September and I were not friends. It was so stressful and emotional to move. Why didn't anyone warn me?!

I thought life would become a whirlwind after starting back up at KPMG. I anticipated immediate 60 hour workweeks and difficult projects that kept me up at night. I was nervous and wasn't sure I wanted the lifestyle I thought I'd stepped into. It couldn't have been further from the truth, however, and my first three months at KPMG have gone very well. I attended training in Arizona for two weeks right off the bat and came back to work feeling ready and capable. The people in the tax department were, and continue to be, very welcoming and understanding of my transition into the role. I'm so glad I chose a small office. It's cool to think I work for a Big Four but in an office with a local personality. I haven't had to work over 40 hours yet and my tasks have been challenging but doable. I feel like I'm in a good place and am excited about where 2015 will take me regarding my job. I'm already involved in the women's group called KNOW and, since a few of the upper-level members recently took their careers to other places, I'm starting off in a relatively important role. Hopefully my involvement will help me make friends! 

Speaking of which, that's the one thing I'm struggling with right now. I've been lonely without my girlfriends. I miss having them so close. Even though I didn't spend as much time with them as I should have or could have when we lived in the same state, somehow just knowing that hanging out was even a possibility made me feel like I wasn't alone. Up here, all I can do is talk on the phone, text, send pictures or look at Instagram. I'm usually pretty good at making new friends but it's been hard to do at work. There are a bunch of great girls that I could definitely see myself getting close to, but they're all auditors and are traveling most of the time. When they're home, they lay low (I don't blame them) and spend time with their families or existing friends. I don't want to intrude on their downtime so I resist asking them to do stuff. I heard that this time of year is a little slower for them, though, so maybe I'll change my tune. 

It really hit me how much I miss girlfriend time when I ventured to the 5th Avenue mall this week by myself. Garrett said he'd go with me but I didn't want to put him through that kind of torture as I shopped for work clothes. I was excited to be shopping and was in a good mood when I first got there. The mall was dead and I was grateful because shopping in crowds is probably my least favorite thing. One of the first stores I went into was GAP (which was having a ridiculously awesome sale) and I grabbed a couple things to try on. While I was in the fitting room, a heard two girls come in that were around my age. They came in chatting about something funny that happened recently, then commented about each other's cute clothing choices to try on, then made each other promise to come out and show each item to be judged. I listened as they did the typical friends-in-dressing-rooms routine of commenting whether things fit/matched their expectations/looked dumb while laughing and having an overall good time. It literally made me stop in my tracks and changed my mood entirely. GOD I miss that. Where are my dressing room friends? Who's going to tell me if the shirt I chose actually looks good? I was tempted to follow them around just to absorb some of their fun.

To solve my problem of friendlessness, I'm planning on becoming a lot more involved this year. The girl who cut my hair for me this week told me there are a lot of things to do in Anchorage that you only know of after you've lived here for a while. Supposedly there are a ton of volleyball leagues that go year-round, numerous places to play tennis inside (yay!), live music almost every weekend, and obviously a lot more to do outside once the weather improves. Hopefully my tune changes by this time next year!