19 reasons my new job rocks

I’m having a bit of a blast in my new job. Here are just a few of the reasons why …

1. As mentioned in a previous blog post, when you press “42” on the drink dispensing machine, a Diet Coke comes out. There’s the meaning of life for you.

2. The junk food machine has “specials” stuck on it with post-it notes each week so, if you’re lucky, you can score $1 off your favourite fruit & nut bar.

3. I get paid to trawl social media for photos of celebrities in bikinis or dicky stickers and write flimsy “travel stories” about their destinations.

4. I get paid to trawl my Facebook feed for story ideas.

5. My friends Sarah, Jim and Jacko work on the same floor.

6. My friends Sam, Alex, Netty and Ken work in the same building.

7. The building is crammed with lots of other former colleagues to chatter with.

8. The deputy travel editor’s phone plays Crowded House songs when it rings.

9. The digital travel editor makes me cups of peppermint tea.

10. Two “serious” journalists sit behind me, chasing “serious” financial and consumer advocacy stories each day and I get to eavesdrop.

11. There are all these men over the age of 50 wandering around. It’s quite novel after years of working in very young, very female environments.

12. I’ve become quite fond of the journalist who sits over the partition and says the F word an average of 5 times every 50 seconds. Although it’s rather blissfully quiet and non flinchy at the moment because she’s away.

13. There’s a really awesome Thai restaurant up the street, where I have lunch with my various friends in the building.

15. There’s a Sheridan discount outlet around the corner.

16. There’s a Doctor Who pop-up shop on the way to work. I’ve bought the eldest the most awesome pair of Tardis leggings there for her birthday.

17. Speaking of Doctor Who, my boss has a Scottish accent.

18. I get offered free nights in five-star hotels to write travel yarns about. One day I might even have a romantic someone to take along.

19. Salacious celebrity gossip – that I hadn’t previously heard – was discussed in yesterday’s travel “news” meeting. God love journalists and their sources.

Actually, that pretty much sums it up. I’m spending 3 days a week with my tribe, in a newsroom, writing about celebrities and travel. It rocks.