Gabe Does Dallas

June 23, 2018, marked my third year in Dallas, TX. Facebook chimed in with a notification while I was at work to let me know about this. This past year I have made so many memories. I have met such a great group of friends that I have completely lost track of time. Having these experiences this last year has motivated me to document them. I want to go further than posting on Instagram or Facebook. I want to put into words the thoughts and feelings that I experienced during.

I knew I always wanted to live in Dallas ever since the first time I came to a cheer camp in high school. I loved everything about it. Driving into Dallas from I-30 and seeing that memorable skyline drew me in. Fast forward to 2015, I was able to get a job at a restaurant in Victory Park as a Marketing Manager. To help earn extra cash I would bartend/serve every other day. Everything started out great! I was able to start on a marketing plan for a food truck and networking with other local businesses. One of the downsides was I had yet to actually find a place to live and a friend opened his doors and let me stay with him. The thing was that I did not have my car at the time and he lived in Frisco. So the commute pretty much sucked. To top it off I quickly realized I was working the really shitty shifts and maybe made $30 during a lunch shift. So I knew I needed to find a place closer, I found myself off 75 close to North Park.

I lived in an OK apartment. It was right next to the DART and had really everything in walking distance. I feel kind of silly saying this but I felt very “City” to ride the DART to work and then walk through downtown. Anyone that has experienced a summer in Dallas knows that walking is pretty stupid. But hey I liked it. I started going out with work friends after we closed, we would walk down the block to a sushi place and have drinks. I met a lot of people that lived downtown, they were nice but I didn’t really vibe with them.

Back to this shitty job…basically, the pay was horrible, the owner and GM were assholes. I wish I could say I was living paycheck to paycheck but I wasn't. My parents had to help me out a lot and after only a whopping 3 months I had to leave. But at least at this point, I had my car back. When I lived in Lubbock I worked at Main Event. I called them up and asked if they would take me back at the Plano location. I made good money in Lubbock so I figured it would be the same in Plano. I was sadly mistaken and ended up leaving after a few months. I was throwing out my resume left and right I would go on every interview that I could.

I finally went to an interview that was for a “Non-Profit” organization. It was basically door-to-door sales. Walking around in slacks and a button up, down a neighborhood was not my thing. During our first run through, we took our lunch and then I took a Lyft home. I thought it was finally time to throw in the towel and move back home.

It was a great first 6 months in Dallas! (Insert sarcasm)

My social life really wasn’t any better, all the people I cheered with in college was from the Dallas area. Me being from West Texas really didn’t know what that entailed. I soon realized it was easier to say Dallas, rather than Addison, Allen, or Richardson. It was a lot harder to see each other. You actually have to plan to see each other. But we made it work. I started going to Cedar Springs or the Gayborhood. Every time it was either Round-Up, Jrs, or S4. I had fun every time but again just like downtown it wasn’t really my thing.

We will get back to that at a later date.

So after about 3 months of being without a job, I finally got a job as a Traveling Nurse Recruiter. I saw a base pay, uncapped commission, and benefits. SOLD. Things were going great, I met one of my coworkers who has become till this day one of my best friends. I was also able to pay bills, so that was weird. But then I soon realized, I suck at recruiting. I am the type…Either you want the job or not, I am not going to try and convince you. Well, that didn’t work and after 1 ½ years, they let me go because there was really no point of me being there. So a few days before I got fired, I had interviewed with my current company. A friend had told me about an open interview that entailed Digital Marketing. So I went and fell in love with the facility. When I got back to the recruiting job, they stopped me at the door with my things in a box. So I continued through the interview process. Walking out of a movie on a Tuesday, I got a call from the recruiter letting me know I got it.

So present day…I have been with my company for a year and some change and actually doing what I have always wanted to do. I have a newish car, an amazing circle of friends and living right off Cedar Springs in an amazing apartment with a great roommate. Things really couldn’t be any better…but again my love life could use some work….stay tuned.