Upward trend

Lately I have been pretty stressed out by some things, all related to the ongoing fact of being very unsettled, future-wise. This is nothing new. It's about being in this purgatory between grad school and "real job," and a whole lot of people I know are in the same boat. But, I have empirical evidence to suggest that what is stressful today will likely eventually be yesterday's news. A few examples pop to mind, as I think about where I was in Februaries past:

Eight years ago around this time, I was unemployed. It was a relatively brief unemployment, after finishing my MA, and happened to coincide with waiting to hear about whether I was accepted into PhD programs. I was extremely stressed, financially and emotionally. And then just like that, I got a part-time job, and soon after that, I got into grad school, and that was that. And actually, something good came out of that stressful period-- I crocheted a blanket to ease stress and fill idle time, and I sleep with that blanket most nights in the winter these days.

Two years ago at this time, I was sick. Really, really sick (from that little bleed I had in my brainstem). I often acted like I was not sick, and that was helpful for getting me through it. But looking back, comparing how I feel now to how I felt then, it is like night and day. I still have some residual symptoms, which I get annoyed by at times. But when I think back to how things were 2 years ago, I realize just how bad off I was then, and how healthy I am now. One really good thing that came out of that experience was strengthening some friendships-- since I was living away from Jeff, I relied a lot on my internship friends during that time, and they were truly there for me. Thanks guys :)

One year ago, I was in a job that was extremely stressful. I got some really good stories out of it, but for many reasons, it was not the kind of place I could stay for long. Once again, I tried to act like it was fine, but realistically, when that job ended, it was like a huge weight had been lifted. My current position? Totally different. I don't come home from work and complain every day. I have energy left at the end of most days. I actually enjoy my work, my environment, and my co-workers. The only major bad thing about this job is that it has to end in September :(

So I'm hoping that soon some of the current stressors will resolve themselves, making way for whatever new ones are sure to follow.