Must all good things come to an end?

Ho-hum!  Remember that sinking feeling you had when the summer holidays were drawing to a close and you had to start getting your stuff together ready for school the next day? Always a very melancholy feeling but also tinged with anticipation - and an element of dread - about the new school year?

Tough last day at my 'other' office

Well, I kind of have that same feeling today. It was a perfectly glorious sunny, warm and positively summer-like day and, after a last morning workout at the gym, I spent the majority of the afternoon out walking at the beach - from Jericho Sailing Club to the dog beach at Spanish Banks, and back again - enjoying a couple of pints of rather delicious Eastside Bitter on the terrace of the Jericho Sailing Centre, while admiring the lovely view and amazing weather. Oh my, I could have happily stayed there forever, just soaking up my last day as a Lady of Leisure - and what incredible weather for it! Not only sunny and blue skies, but even passing 20C. Wohoooo!

After 2 months of unemployment since my contract ended, I have in fact found myself a 'real' job, starting tomorrow - my birthday, no less. While I can't deny the heavy sigh and overwhelming sense of wistfulness that my time off is coming to an end, along with sunny afternoons spent getting pet portraits down at the local dog beaches, I'm nevertheless looking forward to being around people again and especially getting a pay cheque. Two months of zero income - not even any unemployment benefits - when you have an outstanding tax bill of $8,500 is far from ideal even though I'd saved money beforehand knowing I'd have a hefty amount to repay. (Thankfully I found out I can repay it in monthly instalments.) So, with a little savings as a buffer (albeit the money was spoken for) the pressure to find a new job ASAP hasn't been quite as bad this time around. In fact, I've actually managed to allow myself to quite enjoy the gift of a little time off. I've been busy at the gym, I've enjoyed the extra time spent with our crazy brood of kitty-cats and my photography has gained momentum and even taken a step forward into a new direction - the pet portraits. I seriously cannot complain and for that I am extremely grateful!

So what's the new venture? Well, having applied for many jobs and never hearing a single thing in response and even signing up with a happy-clappy temp agency who failed to come up with a single day's work, I was contacted early last week by a friend and ex-colleague from my last job (she left there last November after many years), because the company she's now with was looking for a marketing person. She was thrilled to hear I'm job-hunting and recommended me most highly to her bosses, who interviewed me last Friday morning - perhaps one of the nicest interviews I've had. I went in there with an open mind - not negative but open, anticipating it may not be quite what I'm looking for - and came out 90mins later feeling quite excited by the whole opportunity. Albeit it's for a mechanical engineering firm and, if I'm honest, I'd been hoping to break away from the whole architecture/engineering environment and get into something I might personally enjoy more, but they made me feel incredibly welcome on top of being so impressed with my level of experience and made me a decent job offer - better salary plus benefits and health insurance again, since it's a salaried position not contract - and I start tomorrow, my birthday, though I'll try not to hold that against them. Plus, they have a Victoria office and will soon be opening one in Calgary too, so there'll be an element of travel to my job, which I've actually missed. While Calgary's hardly my favourite place - and I don't exactly hold particularly cheery memories of my short stint living there back in 1995 - I'm glad to have that variation of travel and new environments with new people. Even the trips to Victoria might allow me time to grab coffee or lunch with my good friend, Debbie.

So all in all, I confess, I'm quite excited about it - though nervous too. Maybe because I've been bitten by the past couple of jobs not working out quite as I expected; firstly the incessant long hours and humourless robotic existence of the one company, followed by working hard and still getting unceremoniously thrown under the bus and subsequently laid off from the Cancer Society, which coincided with my own diagnosis of breast cancer shortly thereafter.

Yes indeedy, it's been an odd couple of years in that regard and I'm ready for things to be a little more normal and positive. I'm definitely grateful for many events since 2012 that have, in their own way, led to this and I count myself as extremely lucky to have been able to take the past two months off and, in that time, pursue and even improve upon, the hobbies that are my passion. Plus the fact I've at least had health on my side this time, thankfully spared the concerns and uncertainties that clouded my days when I was out of work for several months in 2012.

I am lucky and very happy. I live a good life with a wonderful man and three adorable cats, in an amazing city and I am so proud to have an incredible family and great friends.

I might be nervous about the big new start tomorrow but I'm also excited to begin a new chapter - as long as I make a promise to myself to still make time for all the things I've enjoyed so much of the past two months!

All in all, not a bad way to end my 45th year :-)