Crikey! Are we moving to Aus?

hahaha... i don't even think Australians say 'crikey'.

Anyway, I just got off the phone with my recruiter, and Brian and I have a big decision to make tonight. I got an offer from MediaCom in Melbourne...they are an international media buying agency with offices all over the place, including Australia, Europe and a handful in the U.S. They would like to bring me on board as their Interactive Direct Marketing Manager (or something along those lines).... I'm under the impression that the U.S. is quite a bit more advanced in the ecommerce/performance-based advertising area, and it sounds like my background could really be useful for this office. It sounds like they're excited to have me!

It's all just so crazy.... many of you know that since I got laid off from MEA around Christmas of 08, I have been trying to get a job in Australia (actually before I got laid off, shhhhh... :-) ) Anyway, after several trips down under and tons of interviews, meetings, calls, emails, etc. I basically gave up because people were just unable to get me a visa. They all said I was great, but when push came to shove, they were unable to get authorization from the government to get me a visa.

After a lot of thought (and after the buzz of our wedding and honeymoon died down), Brian and I decided that I would apply to Thunderbird to start Fall of 2010. Going to business school at Thunderbird (which is right here in Glendale and has an MBA program focused on global management) has always been a dream of mine, so we decided to trade the Australia dream in for the Thunderbird dream.

I enrolled in a very expensive, but very necessary GMAT prep course with Princeton Review, and have been studying my butt off. I am scheduled to take the GMAT next Tuesday, February 9th! I also have been working on my essays, gathering recommendations, etc. Additionally, I met with the Thunderbird folks last week and the adviser said that as long as I did ok on the GMAT, I could/would get accepted to Thunderbird. I would be enrolled full time and it's almost a 2 year program.

But then a wrench got thrown into the b-school plans.... I got a call out of the blue from a recruiter in Melbourne looking to fill this position! It was such a mindf*ck. I was completely thrown by the whole thing... they don't seem to be concerned at all about the visa... and we had done most of our research in Sydney, so I really don't know as much about Melbourne.... but luckily my friend Dawn is there.... and then there are the pets... and the moving costs... and I am still enrolled in the GMAT, so I really should be studying..... Anyway, it's all a little much. But then again, I realize that I really shouldn't be feeling stressed, I should be STOKED.

So I am stoked. I'm also stressed.

There is so much to figure out... but Brian and I dont have to figure it all out tonight I suppose. So..... yeah! We'll see.