It's hard to believe I've been home in Austin for six weeks and at my new job for more than a month. The adjustment has at times been a struggle, but I've found such joy and peace feeling like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be right now. I miss college life, especially with everyone starting back to Baylor last week, but despite having the Baylor blues, I'm finding my "new normal."
Transitioning to life with a full-time career was rough. In college, I avoided 8 a.m. classes at all costs. Now, my usual week-day schedule is as follows...
5:45 a.m. - Alarm #1 hits me like a ton of bricks.
I roll over and snooze for 15 more minutes.
6:00 a.m. - Alarm #2 goes off.
Most days I try to have my feet on the floor after this alarm, but depending on the day and my to-do list waiting at the office, I may steal 15-20 more minutes of shut-eye.
7:15 a.m. - My goal to be out the door. Traffic before school started was awesome; usually just a 20-30 minute commute to downtown. Now that the working parents and Longhorn crazies are on the road, it takes anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.
8:00 a.m. - I'm at my desk and the workday begins! I'm thankful that I work in a flexible environment where there's no true "late for work" unless a meeting is scheduled that early. If you're having an off day (which is surely bound to happen), no one raises an eyebrow if you come in a little later than usual. They trust you to make up the time by staying an hour later, or by working through your lunch. I really do try to be a morning person and get things accomplished early in the day, but it's nice knowing there's a little bit of freedom to set my own schedule.
Noon - I usually work through lunch. The marketing team was SUPER busy before two of us newbies were hired. We're still playing catch-up as they try to get us trained, so working through lunch is a great way to get things crossed off my task list. I'll bring food from home and save money by not eating out.
5:00 p.m. - When the traditional "end of day" rolls around, you won't find many of us fleeing the office. We're usually working on tight deadlines, like tonight when I didn't leave until after 6:30. As much as I'd love to be headed home, I've also found that if I rush to leave at 5:00, I'll sit in traffic for an hour at least. If I work until 6, I cut my commute in half. Working late seems like a wise decision - I'm making money while saving both time in the car and money on gas!
So there you have it, my work life in a nutshell. Do I enjoy it? Yes, I really do. Is it always fun? Definitely not. But seeking the joy and focusing on the little triumphs of my day keep me level-headed and happy. I know that I'm so blessed to have the job I do. And on that note, it's time for this little career woman to relax for a few hours before heading back to bed.
