Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Oivay!

My apologies for taking so long to put keyboard to screen and write a new entry...life as Jody has been a bit crazy as of late.

As you may recall, I resigned from my position of four and a half years at the tail end of August. In search of new challenges, fresh lessons and space to grow I decided to move from a place I had worked for since I moved to the city. The 3 weeks leading up to my last day were normal work days, nothing out of the ordinary. It was the last day that I will not forget any time soon.

See, the thing is that while I knew it was going to be a difficult day, I had not prepared myself for how emotional I would be. My comrades at the office had become my family. When we first moved to Calgary they were amongst the only people I knew - and they all embraced us with open arms and warm hearts. Beyond this though, because it was such a big part of my life, my job became a good chunk of my identity in this town. I spoke about my work often, taking pride in it and in the people I was so lucky to surround myself with everyday.

So now, as I step out to embrace new challenge I am facing hurdles I did not foresee. All of a sudden I must find out who I am beyond my work - develop that identity that for so long had taken on the focus of my job.

And while this change is exciting - exhilarating almost, it is also scary. I am intimidated by it in a way. As much as part of me would like to turn around and flee back to what was, the rest of me is yearning for what lies ahead.

With gratitude,

Jody

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Trials & Tribulations

What a tumultuous month for me! I have had quite a month, and I blame that on the lack of blog posts! Thank goodness for my mother who emailed me requesting “some reading material.”

Where to start? Well, you may remember a few of my earlier posts outlining my thirst for some big changes. I have been participating in what I will label my “Mid-20s Life Crisis” which I’ve also lamented about in this blog. I’ve been desperately trying to establish balance in my life, discover who I am, and most recently what I want to do when I grow up.

While traversing through this terrain, it became very apparent to me that I needed some space to grow, some new horizons to set my gaze on and to confront some new challenges. Sleepless nights, endless conversations with loved ones and internal battles ensued…and the result was me deciding it was time for a career change: a bittersweet conclusion to say the least.

I have been blessed in my current job to work with some of Calgary’s best! My boss was a high energy, super successful businessman who provided the most unique and amazing environment to work in. He had an uncanny ability to attract good people: which was lucky for me, because I got to work with some pretty amazing women! Since moving to Calgary almost 4.5 years ago, these people had become my confidants, my support and most of all my friends (I often fondly refer to them as my Calgary family!). For those of you who have moved away from family, you know how difficult saying goodbye can be – last week was an emotional time for me.

Needless to say, I am enthusiastic and excited for the challenges that lie ahead of me. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up…but I’m hoping this move gets me closer!

Until next time,

Jody