Notice to Explore

Alright, so about the major events I was telling you about previously...

One of them is that I gave notice at work. I will be finishing out the remainder of the summer, and will no longer be employed by the company after the completion of my maternity leave.

1. Wait. What happened!?
In the past few weeks, Phillip and I have discussed me leaving in depth. It's time for me to move on in order to care for baby Elayne when she gets here, cut down on child care expenses, have the flexibility to really focus on school, and refocus on what my passion really is.

2. So now what?
Well, I will obviously finish out working until Elayne decides to make her joyous arrival. After about 6 weeks or so of caring for her, I will probably work part-time to make up for a little of the income and give us spending money. I have a bunch of ideas rolling around in my head and I'm fortunate I don't have to figure this out until at least October.

3. Hold on. You don't have a solid backup plan?
I'm afraid not. This decision came really quickly for me and I have hardly had any time to think. Closing down my work stuff and tying up loose ends while training a new hire will occupy my time until September. Again, we will figure it out. My mom said Elayne is my backup plan for now. And she's right. I still have time. I'm not going to rush this until I need to.

4. Rediscover your passion? What does that mean?
I'm not sure yet. I know that I love health education. And I love the teaching side of it. And my ultimate goal is still to be a professor. But in the meantime, I'm exploring lots of ideas. It's actually kind of exciting because for the first time ever, I'm in control of my future. I have a wonderful husband who thankfully has a great job who will allow me to brainstorm the next few months. I'll figure it out, I know it.

5. Are you crazy?
Maybe. This could creatively be called my mid-twenties-crisis. When I graduated with my undergraduate degree, I was so focused on finding a job that I didn't allow myself time to really find something I would like for the long-term. While this job has served its purpose and given me great experience in a health-related field, I'm ready to be in the completely health field. I have new perspective. More skills. More education. I'm crazy, but I hope more equipped for what lies ahead.

We'll see what happens. For once in my life, I don't feel rushed. I feel like this is a good thing and will work out for the better. I need clarity. I need to refocus. I need a break from the real--world to care for my new baby and family. I need to breathe and take in those first few weeks of her life.