me a government gal?

Aaaaaand the big interview is done. Phew! It was a tiring experience because of the mental stress, but it was all good. And damn, I looked hot! I got to experience a lot of “firsts” on this little trip: using a real suitcase with wheels instead of my pack, taking taxis all the time (hehehe I made a bit of an oops in my first taxi, forgetting I was in Canada and not Africa – I tried to pre-set the price and asked the poor driver if he had change….geez I’m an idiot sometimes!), staying in a fancy hotel that I didn’t have to pay for, and the list goes on.

I was a good little girl Sunday night…I took a bus (as per my usual travel routine) to downtown and walked around a little bit. But I was so tired from no sleep the night before and anxiety-ridden about the interview, so I went straight back to my room, ordered in a pizza, did my requisite 30 minutes on the stationary bike, half fell asleep in the hot tub and then crashed. I was awake to see every hour on the clock, stressing about the interview.

When the morning finally came, I was calm, cool and collected. I felt good in my hot little power suit. I was totally in the zone. And I had a good chuckle at myself. On the flight in they showed Wimbledon. Throughout all the tennis scenes we get to hear what’s going on in the main character’s head. “Don’t choke, don’t choke!” Well I was doing exactly the same thing as I was getting ready in the morning. It was humorous. And boy did I ever feel important when I got a phone call, “Miss Tubman, your taxi’s here”.

I had a lovely little chit chat with the taxi driver on the way to my interview. It put me in a nice friendly mood. When I arrived at 130 Colonnade I felt so confident, and as I sat waiting for someone to come collect me, all nervousness and uncertainty left me. I felt so at home in that building, like I belonged there. I said to myself, “I’m gonna go get this job!”

But then as the interview progressed, my confidence began to wane again, and for silly, silly reasons! It was such a standard interview! No challenges, no surprises, just the usual “what are your career goals and how will this program help you achieve them” and “describe a situation where you exercised flexibility”. Blah, blah, blah. All questions I have answered before, all questions I was prepared to answer. So I didn’t feel that I ever got a chance to let myself really shine. And after the formal interview there was another test to write…it was just an extrapolation from one of the questions on the first test we had to write. Again, it was simple and straightforward and I imagine every applicant will kick ass on it.

Speaking of the applicants, I think they are interviewing close to 40 people, which significantly diminishes my chances of getting a position. In addition, I briefly saw the 2 people who had interviews after me, and they were both at least a decade older than me, meaning much more experienced than me. So basically, in a nutshell, I’m not so sure I’m going to get this job, but I still have my fingers crossed! I KNOW that I would be amazing at this job!!!!!

Anyway, in the cab ride back to the hotel I just let it all go. Just took a few deep breaths and let go of it all. And then I had some fun – I went skating on Rideau Canal and ate beaver tails (we know them as elephant ears here) and hot apple cider. It was a gorgeous day and a wonderful experience. I love Ottawa, I feel comfortable there, and could quite easily see myself living there! Oooohhhh I hope, I hope!

I spent the entire flight back home thinking about Shelley and looking forward to seeing her in the airport. You know that body rush you get when you think about someone you like? Well, I had that feeling the whole way home and double strong when I saw her in the airport. I love those feelings!

Of course I was exhausted at work yesterday and actually quite busy, so I didn’t get the chance to let you all know how it went. Vickie called me last night giving me hell for not calling her ASAP to let her know how it all went. She made me smile, made me feel loved. In fact, to all of you who left messages on my phone and emailed me to wish me luck, thank you for caring! You’re all amazing and I love you!