Alex Williams

I sometimes do things which don’t make sense to anyone but myself. Last year I took a step back from the computer to battle in the ‘real world’. I left a well-paying hi-tech job to travel around Europe and learn about bartending. I’ve always been passionate about wine, liquor and beer; so I naturally steered towards mixing cocktails. In the process, I discovered and experienced things which could not have happened while sitting on a chair in front of a PC.

Everyone has passions, hobbies, interests, and desires. Many people shy away from them for fear of humiliation, or incapacity to succeed. I mean, if i’m good at coding, why would I do anything else, right? Wrong! If there’s something you want to do, then go out and do it. Take advantage of the fact that you CAN make your own decisions.

I’ve taken the plunge once again. I accepted to work as a VIP waiter at the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Montreal (F1 race) this weekend. I was hoping to get some more bar experience, but the most I can expect is opening wine and beer bottles. Either way, I still get to see the race for free ;)

WTF?

Don’t worry, this job has nothing to do with my freelance work or paying my monthly bills. Honestly, I can’t really explain why I chose this instead of something in the IT field. The salary sucks, I’ll be forced to wear a uniform, and I must follow a strict set of rules and guidelines under the dictatorship of a “boss”.

Ok ok I know I may be over-emphasizing the suckyness of this job… but that’s the picture I painted. A pre-conceived notion that going back to work for “the man” is like giving up.

The truth is, it’s not that bad. I need to step out of my comfort zone and continue trying new things. Even though I have zero desire to become a waiter, climb the ladder, or meet some billionaire Sheikhs, I still think the experience could be worth it.

It’s nice to know that if I didn’t have a computer, I could still make it alive.

What about you, have you stepped out of your comfort zone lately? Feel free to share your interests and experiences in the comments below.