[written February 28th, 2012] Wow, so it's been awhile since I've posted! Let's see, so much has happened since my last post in October....and these past few months and reminded me of just how blessed I really am. The month of October entailed a lot of soul searching for me. For some reason it hit me that I'm 28 and the pressures of being married now and being surrounded by friends having babies prompted some deep discussion between James and I on the 'baby' topic. As much as we both joke about never wanting to have kids, I know we both truly do want a family some day. Aside from the fact that I know James is going to be an amazing father and and true hero in our one day child's eyes...part of me yearns for the day that we can create our own 'nuclear family'. The concept of family really resonated even more so when James and I went home to my parents house in NE for Christmas. I always feel so much love, support, and grounded-ness when going home....there's nothing like it. Anyway, we decided that we may want to consider at least putting some kind of 'target timeframe' on trying to start a family but have happily decided that this is to be a year of just enjoying being newlyweds. Both of us are at a place where we want to focus on our careers and ourselves a little more. So with that, I'll continue on with my the crazy story line of the months following...!!
So the end of October marked the much anticipated exam - of which I was sure my life/career depended on. Following the exam, I have decided that my unhappiness and lack of fulfillment with my job had gone lingered long enough and that it was time for me to make a change. My mantra soon became that if you're unhappy with your situation, only you have the power to change it. So I updated my resume, reached out to a few contacts, and submitted my resume to a company here in town who was advertising for a Sr. Coastal Engineer I position. Within an hour of submitting my resume and cover letter, I received an email from the company recruiter inquiring about a phone interview. Wow, that was fast! And in this economy!? Looks promising! A week later, I did an hour long phone interview, which went very well and within a week of that, I had a face to face interview and was eagerly awaiting the verdict on whether or not I would be offered the position. Fast forwarding to 1 week after the interview, I was contacted by the recruiter who let me know that they were very interested and that they would be preparing an offer letter prior to the holidays. Needless to say, I was on cloud nine! Wow, how amazing that the first place I inquired about wanted me on their team. I was excited to have a fresh start with a new company and all the potential that comes with it! Literally days after the follow up call from the recruiter, I had received a call from an old boss of mine who was now the President and CEO of a large firm is Jacksonville. He had called to offer me a job in their West Palm Beach office - having already worked with him and knowing many of the people at this company, I decided to go through with an interview. The next thing I know, it was the week of Christmas, 2 days before might flight home to NE, and I was on the road cross-state for my second interview with this company. The very next day, I had an offer letter in hand! Holy Smokes!! 2 offer letters in 2 weeks -- not half bad for my first 'job hunting' experience. This was just a confidence booster that I needed....to know that I DO have control over my career, and I DO have the power to create change and make things happen.
The next day, James and I took the red eye flight out of Tampa to NE with both offer letters in hand and pure excitement on our faces. Little did we know just how stressful the next week would be. We spent days discussing, deliberating, soul-searching, number crunching, praying, and agonizing over which position to take. Which job offers more potential for professional growth? Will I be involved in marketing or purely a data processing rat? What's the difference is cost of living between two locations? Benefits? *sigh* The list of questions continued to grow and grow -- making both of our heads spin at one time or another!!! In the end, I decided to take the position in Sarasota, which offered more pay and potentially more room for professional growth/development. From that point on, my mind was made up [finally] and I was moving on to bigger and better things! Or at least I thought...
Following the holidays, I had sent my formal resignation with my two week notice with the expectation that there would be no push back. I was convinced that my superiors felt that I added no value to this company. To my surprise, I received a phone right away inquiring about why I was leaving and if there was any way I would reconsider my decision. Oh man!!!! I had just spent weeks agonizing over a decision I had already had a difficult time making. This is not an ideal situation for someone who is afraid of making a commitment or a wrong decision. So here we were, back to the drawing board of soul searching to decide whether or not the offer that was put on the table in order for me to stay with my current employer was enough to keep me feeling fulfilled and excited about my job. In the end, I took the promotion offered for me to stay....which I NEVER thought I'd do. Life is funny - you never know how things will turn out but in the end, you just have to remember to hang on tight and try to enjoy the ride because there truly is no 'final destination'...this is it!
Far better is it to dare mighty things and win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat -- Theodore Roosevelt
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