My next adventure began May 22, 2020. It was the last day that I worked for the company I grew to love over the last five years. At the time, I didn’t know I wouldn’t be going back. Many thought I would be returning, including myself. But the Covid-19 pandemic had other plans for me along with millions of others. Little did I know I was about to embark on one of the most amazing journeys to date.
I prayed a long time for this moment, but when it arrived, I was not as prepared as I had hoped. To bask in a significant amount of time off in order to do whatever I wanted was a dream come true. I could not, however, shake the feeling that something more was coming. For right now, though, the best thing I could do for myself was to take each moment as it comes, and do what I needed to do in a planned and methodical manner. I was only going to be off two months so I needed to make the most of this time.
First Leg of my Next Adventure
The first leg of my next adventure went by so fast. I had developed a routine with walking every morning, working on projects from my “To Do” list every afternoon, and having dinner with my guy in the evening. However, after the first month, it was pretty obvious to me that I wasn’t going back to work; the place where I had spent a lot of time developing relationships. When I finally got the call, relief set in along with feelings of exhilaration. Wait! Let’s just get real here…overwhelmed is more like it!
Losing a job is a tough pill to swallow. It felt like “the” failure on the list of failures. Why was I not good enough? My heart said, “I should have been picked to stay based on all the feedback I received when I was initially furloughed.” My head told me, “It was a business decision.” As a business major, I recognized it was the right decision. I knew in that moment the second leg of my next adventure was about to begin.
Adjustment
I took a few days to adjust to my situation. When I say “adjust” I am talking about crying, getting angry and having what I called my version of the proverbial nervous breakdown. This was a full on “You don’t have a job anymore!” moment and “What am I going to do now?” situation. I had no insurance and the possibilities of finding employment at this stage of the pandemic were dismal at best.
I had been reading about my colleagues on the social media platforms. Many were saying that they have been off for months and still have not been able to find a job. Most were saying it was going to take at least four to six months to find new employment. I was in for quite an adjustment if I was going to be off that long. Fortunately, I have learned my lessons in finance and we were going to be okay on that front. The question was “Am I ready for this next adventure?” Am I really ready to #embracethechanges? I talked the talk, but now I pray that I can truly walk the walk.
Stay tuned for part two of My Next Adventure!
