Alumni Guestbook

posted on 05-11-17 04:02 Vance Koberstein

Every so often I seem to wander back to this sight and it's always nice to see some familiar names providing updates on their whereabouts and the goings-on in their life. As for me, after having spent 2 1/2 years with ATB Financial, I made the move this September to Mount Royal College here in Calgary. I'm employed as a Work Experience Coordinator for the Bachelor of Applied Financial Services Degree program. I help students prepare for their work terms, market the program to potential employers and liase between faculty, employers, and students. Very rewarding and enjoyable to this point. On a personal note, I'm still single (shocking, I know, to those who remember my antics way back when ;) Was with a girl for three years up until this past February and came real close to poping the question, but in the end it just wasn't the right fit and we've gone our separate ways. Anyway, as always, I'd love to hear from anyone I spent time with at Augustana - it was truly a memorable time in my life. Take care all.

Bachelor of Applied Degree Programs , Mount Royal College (7/28/2006)

Bissett School of Business:

Financial Services

Vance Koberstein

(403) 440-8863

vkoberstein@mtroyal.ca

Work Experience Coordinator, Bachelor of Applied Financial Services

35 and counting

At the subtle persuading of Sandra, I thought I would jot down a few thoughts about turning 35 this past week. No fore-thought or planning - simply a pipeline from my constantly aging mind to my fingers to the keyboard.......

No, I'm not living in a house and independantly wealthy just yet. I am, however a home (condo) owner and working at a job I enjoy and find rewarding. The stress is manageable and, truth be told, I'm likely overpaid for what I do. But that just makes up for being under-paid at my last job with ATB.

My parents came down last weekend and it was nice to have an actual queen sized bed for them to sleep on while I slept comfortably on the futon. It was nice to be able to spend part of the next day (Sunday) enjoying the company of my family, including my two nieces (both of whom I am currently babysitting btw - Sydney has no desire to go to bed so I gave up for the time being). I even found time that day to squeeze in a coffee with someone new. The day ended with Tyler and Julie coming over and Julie putting her culinary skills on display for us - pasta, chicken, broccoli, alfredo sauce, garlic bread (!!), and a home-made ice cream cake. Very nice - thanks again Julie. This after I managed to take down Tyler in a game of squash the previous day, all the while nursing an increasingly rare moderate hangover (or maybe I was still buzzed). I received e-cards from friends, an EARLY morning telephone call from Julie (took me awhile to grasp who she was at 6:20 in the morning), cards in the mail, and many best wishes.

Does it mean anything that I'm 35? Not really I suppose. I look around at my close group of friends and see that most are now married (just Tyler, Damian, and I left - sort of a turtle-derby at this point) with kids. I can't say that I feel like I've missed out just yet, because I don't necessarily get the sense that my soul mate has wandered through my life without me noticing. I came close a couple years back, but in the end I think we made the right decision in going our separate ways. Even more-so now that I know she is engaged to be married next summer (Congrats Yvette!), so maybe I was just keeping her from meeting him. I generally like my life (minus about 10lbs soon is the plan) - love having the mountains nearby, working at a job and with people whose company I enjoy, building equity rather than paying rent, and having my family and a number of close friends nearby (Trevor and Ryan notwithstanding, though it does give me an excuse to plan a holiday to San Francisco next summer assuming they haven't moved yet).

And yet I get the sense that there is more to come - I do look forward to the next phase of my life - marriage and (probably, just not 100% sure) kids. More trips, including somewhere tropical and by plane. More mountain excursions. Getting into back-country camping and back-packing rather than mere day hikes. More new music to sample. More people to meet. More golf courses to play. More wine to drink. Just..........more.

Ok - it's time to put my foot down and get Sydney off to bed - wish me luck...........

posted by Vance Koberstein at 7:41 PM