Next Steps, February 9th

I received the first low ball offer on my apartment yesterday, which is exciting and scary at the same time. Thinking about moving is so consuming that I barely slept last night. In fact I woke up at 1:17am this morning and stayed up. It’s amazing what you can accomplish in the middle of the night, by the way! I made an amazing batch of homemade potato salad, roasted some zucchini, threw in a load of laundry, and texted my Mom just after 4am to say hello. She’s a crazy early riser anyway, so just about 4:30am, I got a reply from her.

“Good morning, daughter! Such cooking energy. Ina would be very impressed. Maybe you’ll be on a new show called The Sleepless Chef! XO”

Mom always finds a way to put a positive spin on what others might call a situation. The Sleepless Chef is actually a great idea for a show. Maybe they could call it Burning The Midnight Oil and I could fry a bunch of late-night munchies. I’m surprised they haven’t thought of that yet. (Hey, Food Network– you hiring??)

Looking around my apartment I’m wondering what to bring, what to donate, what to sell and what to chuck. (What the hell else am I supposed to do at this ungodly hour?) It would be so easy to move with just my clothes, personal effects, and some art; no bulky furniture to lug and store until my new place is ready. Is it worth it to drag the heavy candlesticks? Do I really want to save Bark our papier-mâché dog? (I hope the new place allows pets.)

I remember the trappings of my last serious office job. I had collected so many industry knick knacks over the years. I thought they made me look so tenured and important. I had more than a few of those heavy Lucite sales awards with my name etched into the bottom. My five-year anniversary certificate with the raised gold seal was neatly thumbtacked at the corners to my corporate backsplash next to my internal phone list. The overhead shelves boasted signage from past events I’d hosted or sponsored, a slew of logo’d lanyards from recent conferences and a propped-up group photo in a paperback frame from a charity event. I went places. I did things. Here was the proof. And just before I left, I enjoyed a nice, long look around. In the end, though, I took nothing but a few Post-it note pads. (I love the ones with the lines!) I did, however, save the very good friends I made there.

I realize that the next few steps might be challenging for me… especially when I have no idea where I’m actually going. Regarding my next role and my new home, I’m looking forward to a change of scenery, so maybe Mom’s positivity did rub off. Things are most certainly looking up.