Annie and I needed a break from our life in Guelph, and so over the course of December, I searched high a low for a new job that would give us a new start. I hunted for a position that would either allow me to work remotely so Annie and I could travel or an in-office position closer to either family. When I couldn’t find many remote opportunities being posted around the Christmas holiday season, I started looking at Kingston as that’s where Annie and I would like to buy a home in the future.

I started emailing companies, even those that weren’t actively looking for anyone, and in discussion with an owner of a web development company in Kingston, I was pointed towards the opportunity to be the Senior Technical Project Manager for a new event in Kingston called The Breakout Project.

A quick review of the website made me very excited for the event and the opportunity available. After a few interviews in person just before Christmas, I felt pretty confident that I was one of the leading candidates for the position.

Christmas came and went, and I never heard anything more about the job. I started to wonder if maybe I wasn’t going to get it. But after New Years, I was contacted to let me know that I was still being considered and needed to get through one more interview.

I did the interview via phone, and not long after, I was offered the job.

I start this Monday, January 9th, and I have a great deal of work to do before the event this May 10th – May 12th.

It sounds like my first couple of days will be getting brain dumps from everyone involved with the project to this point so I can quickly get up to speed and start assisting the team in making sure all of the technical needs are met.

The Breakout Project is a weekend hackathon/conference with the goal of creating start-ups focused on improving social good. Using technology for improving our world is something I’m very passionate about. To help the event be successful will use every skill I’ve acquired over my decade and a half career, and that is very exciting to me. I also love that the event is being held in Kingston. I was born there, went to College there, and have continued to come back.

This weekend, Annie and I travel to Kingston to stay with my family for a bit until we can find an apartment to move into. The rental market in Kingston isn’t great due to it being a College/University town, but I’m sure we will find something that allows us to both be happy and slowly save for a house of our own.

Tonight we head to the St. George in Georgetown to have an informal mixer where people can say goodbye and wish us well.

I am very excited about this opportunity, but I will try not to drive everyone crazy with too many updates here and on social media. Wish me luck!