new adventures...

Addie, Molly & Avry at the Children's Discovery Museum

One of the many big life events that happened while I was away from the blog was that I lost my job.  I sort of saw it coming & had been really miserable there for a looong time (6 years long actually), but it was still a big blow & since then, life has been...different.  I know there are a lot of other people out there who have lost their jobs and are just like me... "between jobs" as I like to say.  I speak now from firsthand experience when I say: it is no fun.  Like everyone else with a crappy job they don't like, I would dream about not having to work & fantasize about what I'd do with all the time!  But without the benefit of independent wealth, this scenario quickly becomes less desirable.  Obviously there are lots of negatives - like the added financial stress, my crumbling self-confidence & the pressure my unemployment puts on my personal relationships.  I have to be careful not to get too excited about jobs because if they don't work out it's a huge emotional letdown.  Then there are the feelings of guilt if you are not devoting 24 hours a day to the job hunt.  There is also truth to the old adage "the busier you are, the more you get done!"and unfortunately, the reverse is true as well.  Sometimes I feel I have all the time in the world, but the next thing I know I've blown an entire afternoon on the internet!  At times, I feel really, really lost.  Most days it's fairly easy to convince myself that I'd rather be a little lost right now, than find myself in the same miserable job in 15 years.  I am constantly working to establish a routine & some balance in this new situation.  Tomorrow afternoon I am headed to a volunteer orientation at the Children's Discovery Museum!  I have been there with my nieces & it is so amazing!  My sister Molly suggested volunteering to me.  In fact, it's how she got her job at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian - so cool!  I don't know yet how often I'll be there or in what capacity, and I don't expect to land a job from this experience; but I am really excited to do something different & meaningful with my time & to find out more details tomorrow!