The Last Day

Well the time has come. My time has been served, I am ready to join the working world again! During this time I have been able to assess my spending habits, pay down debt and create a new budget to live on. It has been lean times for the most part, but I am lucky to have those around me that supported me in my time of need. Whether it was the occasional dinner or staying in with me to hang out because I didn't have the money to go out on the town, I found out who my true friends were during this time and it has not been forgotten.

While it is not the most ideal situation, and I was depressed about being laid off, gained weight, etc; I feel that this was a way of me really being able to step back, access my life and see where i really wanted to go. The door was open, I could do whatever I wanted and I feel in the end landing the job at the City of Evanston was the best thing to happen thus far. I am able to have a career I can grow into while being able to take time to focus on me personally. The last nine years I was so concerned about getting the best grade or getting into the right program or finding the right job and then working as hard as I could at that job so that my career was set. Well that paid off for sure, I have had some amazing experiences in the last 9 years, but I never really took the time out for me. Focusing my life on health - both mentally and physically - and becoming better at my hobbies, namely rugby are what I want right now in my life. I will be able to accomplish this now. Yes I could of been doing all of this while I was laid off but lets be honest, my mind was racing on the uncertainty of my life and well I just kind of shut down and revert to comfort zones like ice cream and fast food when that happened.

So Monday is a new day a new era in my life. I have a new job a new apartment and a new attitude about my career and how it affects the way I live. I am returning to old habits, ones that I cultured in Denver, going to the gym, losing weight, getting fit and healthy. Eating well, reducing my drinking and being active 5-6 days a week (this doesn't involve the gym but being out and running or biking or throwing the rugby ball around count as active too) are things I am incorporating back into my life. No cable in the house, heck even no internet helps that too. Summer is the good time to bring all of these habits back and get ready for the fall/winter.

It is fitting the last day of unemployment is rainy. It was a rainy/snowy day the day I was furloughed, triggering the last six months of searching. I look forward to what the next few months and years bring, and I hope you all will join me on my journey through the discovery of Chicago and through the travels I take outside the city. Thank you all for reading my blog this week and stay tuned for more adventures. I am enjoying my last day of unemployment, reflecting, relaxing and preparing for the work week ahead.

With you always,

C