Rain City Life

Last week I put my two week notice in at work.

Yes, I’ve only been at my job since the end of July but it didn’t take long for me to decide that it wasn’t really for me. Well – the position I held at least. As an admin, I had gone from “helping people” at my retirement home job to…managing plant inventory. Suddenly I remembered why I had left my job at the Westin three years ago to go back to school.

Nursing is no longer on my radar. But that doesn’t mean that my desires to help people and be fulfilled in my work have changed. I had never actually wanted to leave Foundation House. At the time I only had a guaranteed 24 hours a week, some of which were on the weekend, and I was getting tired of filling in randomly not knowing what my day or week would bring. I needed that steady paycheck of 40 hours and really wanted a steady Monday-Friday 9-5 job. Unfortunately at the time they quite simply didn’t have that for me. So I did what I had to do and left.

I’ve kept in touch with the people there and have visited on a few occasions. Three weeks after I left a full time opening became available. They asked me if I wanted it but I declined, cursing under my breath, and telling myself that everything happens for a reason. It was a position I already knew all too well and leaving a job three weeks after I had started was not something I wanted to do. I needed to give my job a chance.

There’s nothing particularly bad about my job. I enjoy walking along the grounds, the people, and the opportunity to learn more about gardening and plants. But something was missing.

Passion.

Some may say a few months is still not enough time to figure out if a new job is for you. But when I heard about another opening at Foundation House, and practically cried at the thought of being able to go back, I knew where my passion lie.

I went back last week for a quick meeting with my new department head and hung around to talk to an old coworker for a few minutes. It was dinner time and as I began to leave I ran into a few of the residents asking me if the rumors of my coming back were true. As I spoke to them I saw one of my favorite residents in the corner of my eye. I walked over and hugged her and as we stopped to look at each other I saw her eyes were red with tears. I never had doubt – but any that I may have had vanished. I knew in that moment that this is where I belong.