A New Beginning

Last Monday was my last day in finance.  My last day stuck behind a computer in a dreary office.  My last day of not having to worry about my bank account.

I took a few days off.  I wasn't going to.  I was excited to jump right into my new career.  But my family suggested that it might be a good idea to take a deep breath.

I'm glad I did.

I enjoyed some beautiful, sunny Spring days with my family in Virginia.

I shopped and lunched with my Mum.

We toured Chateau Morisette, a lovely winery situated in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains.

We talked and ate and drank for hours on the back deck.

As always, I was sad when it was time to leave and return to city life.  I'm really a country girl at heart.

But, there were some important and exciting adventures awaiting me in New York.

The nice weather continued and I enjoyed spending the weekend with Mike.  I'm going to miss having weekends off together.  I like hanging out with him.

But, now, my vacation from the real world is over.

Today, I begin life as a full-time pastry cook.

I begin working in the afternoon and returning home early the next morning.

I begin working on Saturday and Sunday.

I begin fretting about paying bills.

I begin seeing a lot less of Mike.

Some of these changes excite me, others terrify me.  But, I feel like this is where I belong.  I feel like this is the beginning of a fruitful, rewarding life-long career.

I've become a bit more nervous with each passing hour, leading up to the beginning of my first full-time shift.

I've organized my spice rack.  Organized and cleaned the apartment.  Sharpened my knives.  Checked the batteries in my taser.  Forbidden myself from ironing my chef pants.  Because that's just dorky.

And while I'm nervous, I'm also calm.  My life as an office worker has drawn to a close, replaced with an exciting, passionate beginning and a lot of unknowns.

Last night, Mike and I attended a reading by one of our favorite authors, Ian McEwan.  In the Q&A session, speaking to how he crafts his characteristic endings, he summed up my excitement and fear into one beautiful note:

"Endings are both crucial and difficult."

So here's to the official end of one chapter in my life and the beginning of a new one.

Thank you all for being so kind and encouraging on my path to changing careers.  I wouldn't be here today without you.