It’s crazy to acknowledge that it’s already been 4 months since I’ve moved across the border to America. So much has happened in so little time—from struggling to get my social security number (SSN) to finding a new car and apartment with my partner who also just started his new job at Microsoft. We’ve both been crazy busy and overwhelmed by the many changes (like healthcare and benefits) that have been introduced into our lives. Half the time, I feel pretty good about the progress I am making… the other half of the time, I feel like I don’t have my sh*t together.

The blurry boundaries between work and life

Work has been extremely busy, and I find myself working late into the evenings (though I make sure to take breaks and recoup). I see this as part of the ramp-up process and am enjoying the learning curve thanks to my supportive team and manager! I’ve had many opportunities to partake in different announcements and build on my interests in the social media space. I am still building that PR muscle from the ground up, but am soaking up a lot of knowledge and context from the smart people around me. Check out the recent customer announcements that I was a part of:

• American Airlines
• Las Vegas Raiders
• Q3 Earnings
• Kraft Heinz

Still feeling a little bit lost

As I work to find my footing at work, I can’t help but feel like I am falling behind because there’s so much more that I need to learn. All my team members have decades of experience working with public relations (PR) and are so good at what they do—they seem to know the answers to everything! I’ve learned that PR is definitely more-so an art than a science and that there’s no formula for the perfect announcement that drives media coverage.

As I gain exposure to the different styles and approaches that my peers take, I am starting to develop an idea for how I would like to run an announcement one day. I’ve found that the world of communications can be very strategic and political, with many different stakeholder interests to consider. It’s fascinating, challenging, and all-consuming!

The light at the end of the tunnel

As I am writing this, I am feeling like we’re finally settling in… we have a car, all of our furniture set up, and we have established our weekly routines. After months of living out of a suitcase, our new apartment is starting to feel like a home 🏠 I feel so lucky that my partner is a great cook because I am hopeless in the kitchen. But, I have been helping out with the dishes since discovering the wonders of a dishwasher 😅

We’ve also been making new friends! First, I am so glad that I have a half-cousin and his best friend who have been so welcoming since I arrived and are major foodies 🥰 I also feel blessed to have met a group of fellow Canadians who went through and/or are going through the same life process. The other night, we bonded over the struggles of getting our SSNs and retaking our driving tests! And recently, I met some girlfriends from work who also moved to Seattle for Microsoft. Overall, I am excited to get to know these cool people more and explore the Greater Seattle Area food scene with them.

Hi, I’m Karen and I am passionate about sharing my learnings, experiences, and perspectives through the #kkarenism platform. Most of the time it’s career and development related; other times I am simply curious and want to write about different topics. You’ll find a mix-mash of content on here from paying off student loans to creating a career walking deck, so enjoy whatever you find and do share your feedback and share with others 👀 P.S. I do this mainly for fun and out of passion, with a hint of hope that I can retire off this one day ✨ thanks for checking my blog out and have an awesome day!