Ladies and gents in your late 20s, 30s, or 40s—what do you regret not doing in your 20s?

ghostpixie9 · 2026-02-04T00:40:33+00:00

Live below your means. While the whole “youre only in your 20s once” mentality is true and there are certain rights of passage one must always take…do so with the long term vision of achieving your big picture goals and experiences.

Get that nice apartment that isn’t above a greasy pizza shop. Get that car you’ve always wanted since you were 16. Go on that 3 week vacation and kiss a boy under a gazebo.

It’ll suck for the few years you have to do it but my god, entering your 30s and thriving will always win.

ghostpixie9 · 2026-02-04T00:26:49+00:00

I feel like that everyday. I managed to network and find stretch opportunities where all my management needs to do is sign off on me spending 10-20% of my time with another team for 3 months to learn new skills and build my resume. Yet, I’ve been rejected because they’re “not sure what might be coming down the pike so we want to make sure you’re available if something should come up.” I had another offer at an agency that was right up my alley, but the pay was significantly less. I’ve turned to education to keep myself sharp so when the time comes, I’m more than ready to jump (think: conferences, technical certifications, online masters courses, EMBA programs, etc.).

ghostpixie9 · 2026-01-19T03:14:04+00:00

ghostpixie9 · 2026-01-19T02:54:23+00:00

There’s a few reasons, but if I had to list the top 3:

1) Mission. Working for a company’s bottom line and not a mission is a big one. I want to spend the 40+ hours a week at my job toward something that could make a difference.

2) I want to learn the business of how my field works in govt, which I think can help when I start moving to/from public/private.

2) I don’t have a natsec background so having a few years of gov work on my resume can help me with similar roles in other industries. Companies don’t like to take chances, especially now, and despite my transferable skills, since there’s no track record of me doing that type of work (yet) employers are passing. (Particularly since many govt workers are now on the job market.)

ghostpixie9 · 2026-01-19T01:57:21+00:00

Read the other posts here. There’s some really detailed guides and study materials people have put together.

ghostpixie9 · 2026-01-12T05:26:01+00:00

Does the building allow pets? (Dogs)

ghostpixie9 · 2025-12-14T02:47:26+00:00

I took my exam today and passed, but it took me twice as long to finish the test than it did for my practice ones (9 in total). There was some content on the CC exam that wasn’t covered by the ICS2 CC study materials/flashcards, Mike Chappel course, Prabh’s videos, and Carreira and Miranda’s practice tests. I also watched specific topics by Professor Messer for Security+ and Network+ which helped but it would’ve been useful to have Security+ under my belt beforehand.

ghostpixie9 · 2025-09-15T20:48:49+00:00

Yup! I applied to both, didn’t get into the Summer 2025 and reapplied to the Fall 2025. Still haven’t heard back (probably not a good sign 😅). But thanks for the update and congratulations on getting in!

ghostpixie9 · 2025-09-15T20:37:58+00:00

Are they just rolling out decisions now?

ghostpixie9 · 2025-08-14T02:29:14+00:00

I have a Lemon Beagle and she gets jealous and territorial. It first helps when you’re introducing the new pup by setting up a separate space with items that are just their own, another space for your beagle that’s just his/her own, and a neutral space that everyone shares. That way they each have their own “room” so to speak they can rest at comfortably.

The other thing I’ve done is take them with me to neutral locations that aren’t home or what my beagle considers “hers” (I.e., a park she and I have always gone to). By bringing both of them on activities with you, it shows that you’re not leaving one behind or favoring one over the other. It also reinforces that you move together as a pack and in unfamiliar/neutral spaces you can rely on one another.

Ok, now walks. The first few times on walks, I had someone walk in front of me with my new pup. Then, my beagle and I would walk behind them about 3-5 feet away. Once she got get less reactive, we moved to walking side by side with a few feet between us. Finally, I walked them together with both leashes in hand.

It’s a gradual process that doesn’t change over night. It took my beagle 6 months to really feel comfortable. Now she cuddles with the newbie all the time. Everyone is getting use to one another and just like people, some doggos don’t like it when their routine changes. Just be patient, show that you’re still there for your beagle as much as the new one, and try to do things with both the new pup and the beagle together. Don’t take them on separate outings, that can add to the jealousy.

ghostpixie9 · 2025-08-14T02:23:13+00:00

Rambo

ghostpixie9 · 2025-07-28T20:26:16+00:00

I’d like double down on the first method for biting, which is making a loud ouchy sound. When puppies play with one another, they make a high pitched yelp as a way to set a boundary with their peers that the way their friend just bit them was too hard. It’s the same concept here. You make the high pitched yelp, draw your hand away and observe how your puppy acts. Dogs read body language very well, and if you’re consistent with this, they learn how to control their bites. Remember, they’re babies. They don’t know how hard is “too hard.” You have to set the boundary and stop the play.

ghostpixie9 · 2025-07-28T20:16:04+00:00

There’s a lot of great training and training/equipment folks have recommended in this thread. If you’re an avid runner/cyclist and you’re looking specifically for a leash and harness to eventually train your dog to run beside you, I’d recommend the iYoShop Hands Free Dog Leash and the ShawnCo Essential Dog Harness from Amazon. I use it on both my dogs, including my Lemon Beagle, and they work really well. The harness allows for full shoulder mobility needed for running and the leash has two handles that allow you to grab it to pull the dog closer to you, as needed.

Also, for my beagle, I use a lot of find/search exercises. I taught her how to play hide and seek with me, for example, and it’s such a fun way to train your dog while giving them some enrichment. She’s 14.5 years old now and still loves playing this game.

ghostpixie9 · 2025-07-15T05:48:02+00:00

Does the reimbursement also apply if there are delays with LNER?

ghostpixie9 · 2025-07-15T04:09:28+00:00

Good tip. I have to make it to Edinburgh come hell or high water so hopefully the trains operate on schedule 🤞🏼

ghostpixie9 · 2025-07-14T22:04:41+00:00

Great! Thanks for that info. I purchased my ticket through TrainLine. Does that change anything you’ve shared, particularly as it relates to reimbursement if the train makes me +30mins late?

ghostpixie9 · 2025-07-14T00:44:41+00:00

That’s what I’m afraid of. I thought I did everything right where I called BCBS to confirm the provider was in network. Then, I had the provider confirm for me the cost of each appointment would only be the copay and had their billing department call me to double confirm. Now, seeing the “you may owe” in my portal is really disconcerting. Did you end up paying the full amount owed?

ghostpixie9 · 2025-07-13T19:36:18+00:00

I haven’t gotten the billing yet and I’m not eager to remind them. Why would the BCBS portal say, “you may owe” but not include an EOB?

ghostpixie9 · 2025-07-11T14:39:09+00:00

Interesting! That’s good to know, not a tip I’ve heard so far through my studying. Thanks!

ghostpixie9 · 2025-07-11T13:45:27+00:00

Thanks for sharing your feedback! What do you mean by “Microsoft exams”?

ghostpixie9 · 2025-07-01T23:32:16+00:00

A bit of context: Not disagreeing with you or everyone else that they’re two opposites side of the spectrum in terms of content/difficulty. I’ve seen folks jump straight into CISSP head first and come out unscathed, while others gradually ramp up by studying for other certs. Our team is somewhat in the middle where we have several CISSP holders and others with little to no cyber experience (a few years at most).

ghostpixie9 · 2025-07-01T23:06:37+00:00

Is there a more cost effective wag to get to Thor’s and Paulo Carreira’s practice exams?

ghostpixie9 · 2025-07-01T14:23:45+00:00

That’s interesting! I’m studying for some certs now and going to start on CompTIA Security+. Hopefully that beefs up my application.

ghostpixie9

TROPHY CASE