Headed to Colorado

Colorado is my birth state. I have entertained the idea of moving back for many years. The decision came when I realized that I can do anything with my life right now, so why not do something a little…exotic? If there is one time in my life that is prime for taking risks, it’s now. I have a finance degree and I want to work in an industry that excites me and ignites my curiosity.

I’m convinced that Colorado is leading the way for our country in many categories, not just with marijuana. The lowest obesity rate in the country, low unemployment, tiny houses, and the natural beauty of the mountains are pulling me like an intercontinental tractor beam.

For those interested, add me on instagram @troysc300 and snapchat troysc300

 

Lastly, a couple thought provoking videos.


Team Knighten and Century 21

It has been quite a while since my last post and I feel like I have accomplished a lot in those six months. Most of my time was spent between bartending at Mitchell’s Fish Market with my brother and becoming a licensed real estate agent. My mother has been in the industry for nearly 30 years and her success has left her in need of some assistance. A few weeks ago, I quit my job at the bar to become a full-time Realtor! I have SO much to learn but between my mom’s experience, the excellent training programs of Century 21, and my background in finance/real estate at the University of Central Florida, I’m confident I will be able to make this career lucrative and enjoyable.

In other news, I am considering a blog dedicated to Team Knighten (as we call ourselves) and all of our real estate endeavors.

nametag

This is the first name-tag I have ever enjoyed wearing.

Great By Choice

20140207-201932.jpg

I’m living in Florida again and loving it! For the first time in four months I have clothing to choose from other than what I could fit in my backpack. I picked up the newest Jim Collins book, Great By Choice, at the LAX airport and so far it’s equally as interesting as his last book Good to Great.

Santa Barbara, California

photo 3

It seems like the timing wasn’t quite right for me to work in Hong Kong, but I WILL be back. Visa sponsorship seems to be an issue since I don’t yet have any corporate finance experience from the US. On a positive note I have several interviews lined up in Santa Barbara, California. My flight leaves in 12 hours.

IMG_4937

I am by no means calling this a defeat, especially since my original goal was simply to live in a foreign country for at least one month while studying the language and soaking in the culture. I’ve accomplished this three times over and the only bad thing to happen was the loss of my beloved iPhone 5s (luckily I backed up all photos, videos, and contact information to my laptop).

IMG_5038

This was a very interesting time of year to visit Hong Kong. The weather was perfect but October, November, and December are the slowest months for hiring due to the 13 month pay cycle. According to the recruiters and employers whom I interviewed with, companies pay sizable bonuses at the end of the year. These bonuses keep turnover and hiring rates low until the end of Chinese New Year.

IMG_4652

While jobs seemed scarce, celebrations here were plentiful! Never in my life have I attended so many parties in such a short amount of time. Between Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and many casual lunch or dinner meetings, I was able to meet some incredible people from all over the world and build lasting relationships.

IMG_4825

I wouldn’t trade these past three months for anything. Right now I am working on organizing my thoughts and videos from this journey. I hope to share them with you all soon.

Hong Kong

Part of me can’t believe I’m still here, and the other part isn’t surprised at all. The last few weeks have been spent job hunting and networking. I fully expect to be here until January, beyond that I’m not sure. I’ve had a couple interviews so far, both went very well but no offers yet.

Here is a short clip from The House of Dancing Water in Macau last month.

Shot with the iPhone 5s

I. Love. Hong Kong.

 

Relaxing in my tiny room on the 26th floor of a skyscraper in Kowloon

Image

Been on the road for 34 days. I have grown so much in that time it is impossible to convey in a single post. I probably should have been posting updates periodically but caved to the convenience of Facebook and Instagram. Luckily I am still writing in my journal nearly nightly and have yet to post even a fraction of the photos.

My flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles leaves in 10 days but I won’t be on it.  A couple of weeks ago I decided Hong Kong is the place I need to be right now. By my calculations I should be able to stay until the end of November before I start to run dangerously low on cash. Legally I can stay for 90 days without a work visa. I declared my commitment by purchasing a laptop; figured it was impractical to research companies and work on my résumé via cell phone or public computer.

Right now I am spending the majority of my days doing three things:

1. Eating
Image

2. Working out
Image

 

3. Meeting new people people every chance I get!
Image

 

Image