New Beginnings

Today was my first day at the new job and I'm having trouble deciding what to tell you about first. Should I start with the awesome, down-to-earth people? Or maybe I should begin with how the job description has turned out be so much more interesting than I expected and actually very, very similar to what I have been doing for the last 5 years. Or perhaps I should just dive right in and describe the extremely serene and beautiful lunch break I had while sitting at a picnic table next to the lake on a gorgeous summer day! That break was so wonderful I could barely concentrate on the book I was reading because my eyes kept averting to the small, shining ripples in the water and how they kept quietly smacking against the shore.

I know its early, but I think I'm in love...with my new job. The atmosphere and overall morale is a total 180 from what I've become all too familiar with in my work life. I feel as though I finally work for a company who has found the proper balance between providing a fun, carefree atmosphere while still holding the employees accountable for their performance.

I'd been extremely nervous every time I thought about starting this new job, and it seemed to only get worse with the approaching start date. I'd been away from work, life, and a normal adult-detailed schedule for so long that I was nearly convinced I was 11 years old again and facing the excitement/horror of going back to school. I'd destroyed my sleeping schedule over the summer and I was afraid I might have lost my work-ethic as well. I don't know that it's possible, but I was very frightened that I'd let go of the strong, confident, and bright employee I've always been while fighting through the shutdown of my last job and then during the 2 month wait for this opportunity to find its way to me. But fortunately I was wrong. I learned today that I am still every bit as strong, confident, and bright as I ever was, and more importantly, determined to do this right because I'm finally surrounded by people like me--people who take pride in their work, who care about doing it right the first time, and who can find and appreciate that proper balance between friendly socializing and getting the job done.

I know it was only my first day and it's possible ugly demons are already hiding behind corners just waiting for the right time to jump out at me, but after today I can't help but be reminded of something a friend said to me. She wished me luck on my first day and said she hoped the company was a good fit for me. I was taken aback because I'd never worried about it before as I've always been so consumed with the fear of not being a good fit for them that how I felt didn't really matter. She had an excellent point though, and I'm so relieved to feel that they are a really, really good fit for me. I mean, it's possible there isn't a better one out there.