The Two Week Check-In

Well, hello there. Oh, where have I been? Chillin’ in the box above with that dope kitty. (He’s so shady.)

No, that’s a lie.

When I last abandoned you, I was about to turn 28 years old, and nearing the end of my tenure at my previous employer.  As a note to all of you cheeky undergraduates out there — being paid to sit around and essentially play on the internet while doing minimal work gets old. Very old.

Now here I sit, two weeks later, at my new desk at my new job. I’m also currently glaring at an obscenely large burrito that resembles a football more than it does my lunch, but I guess that’s irrelevant.

I’m sort of in awe of the change that has occurred in my life.  I don’t know about you guys, but nothing emotionally drains me more than a job that is, at best, mind-numbing.  It was tough to leave because the people I worked with were amazing, but I felt a little trapped.  It’s kind of how like two good people can make a bad relationship.  My old company wasn’t bad, and I’d like to think I’m not too shabby myself.  But together, we couldn’t make it work.  My job left the toilet seat up.  I never called to say I was going to be late for dinner.

The apathy leaked into other parts of my life, as it inevitably does.  I got lazy at home, about my appearance… everything.  That whole “what’s the point?” mentality was burned into my brain.  What was harder was going to work every day, and seeing people who were excited to be there — people for whom that company awakened their passions.  It made me question what was wrong with me.

Now here I am in an environment that is diametrically opposing to my previous employer.  Old and established versus a dynamic tech start-up.  Night and day.

Did I mention that I have monkeys?

I feel like a renewed person.  I get up every day refreshed, ready to face the day.  I spruce myself up.  I have an extra spring in my step.  Even though I still do work in Customer Care, a profession I am working to move beyond, it’s okay.  I’m in a place where ideas are nurtured and encouraged.  The energy is frenetic and palpable.  Sometimes you have to work your way up, but it’s worth it to be in a place where people speak your language and whose passions align with your own.  It makes all the difference in the world.

I sound like a Chicken Soup for the Soul book but it’s absolutely true.

Will there be days where I am dragging and feeling somewhat uninspired? Of course.  I’m human.

But this new job is serving as another example of how this year has been all about getting to know who I really am.  Here I feel like I have uncovered this part of me I never knew about, yet feels like a comfortable pair of old blue jeans that fit perfectly.  I fit in.  I feel inspired.  I actively WANT to come to work and hang around the office.

So yes, that’s where I’ve been.  I’ve been busier than ever, and learning how to adjust myself to this new schedule.  While everything is amazing, the fact that I have real work to do has taken away from some serious social media and friendship time.  It’s something I’m going to have to learn, especially since my school schedule will be packed very soon.

I have never been terribly great with the whole “balance” thing.  I tend to binge and purge when it comes to different aspects of my life.  For example, I’ll go through weeks where I’m SOCIAL SOCIAL SOCIAL, and then I’ll retreat, not wanting to speak to anyone ever.  Or I’ll become completely entrenched in some personal project, but two weeks later, I cannot be bothered.   I’m not terribly great at half measures or moderation, and I can be very fickle.

Anyway, it’s a new chapter of my life, and I feel like I’m learning so much every single day.  It’s kind of neat that my new job coincided with my birthday — it drove home that “turning over a new leaf” feeling that I have been craving for so long.

Has my happy-go-lucky attitude made you want to kick me in the teeth yet?  I’m a walking After School Special that’s even making me want to vom a little.

Tagged as: job, life