Life Changes

Hey Steemers! It has been a few months since I've posted anything on here, it has been a busy time with a huge life change so I thought I would blog about it. I took a step back from my previous job and took a leap into another direction!

For the last 3.5 years I was working for as a nutritionist for lower income women and children, but moved and transferred to another company for the last 2yrs. It was a lot different than what I was used to, different community and workplace vibes. Working with the public can be a difficult job, very demanding. Sometimes bigger isn't always better and of course most businesses run based off the participants/clients/customers. So of course, the number of participants was never good enough. It didn't matter how much time or effort I put into the appointments, how much I tried to help, listen, encourage, provide, nothing felt good enough. Of course many participants just wanted their stuff and to leave, but then there are those that made every hard day, hour, minute worth it and it would be enough to lift your spirits back up again, for a while. Bottom line: I was getting run down mentally which made me feel physically exhausted. I could've used a drink after almost every day (but didn't usually act on it). It just came to the point where I wasn't in love with the job anymore and needed to do something else. It was a comfortable position, cushy benefits and pay of course, but is it worth it?

Maybe, if that's all that matters...

I've been working PT to get my Masters. During my last trimester, I had a class in Sustainability which I was in love with. My boyfriend and I have a dream to start a market garden. We have our own little garden, just extended to 25'x18' and are practicing growing methods, composting, harvesting, etc. That class pushed me further into wanting to be part of the change, make a change faster, to grow real food, the right way, and to help people, animals, and the environment benefit from it. While researching information for homework I came across a website for my state and looked at the forum boards. It listed, "Jobs/Internships", "Free", "For Sale", etc. I thought it would be interesting to see what type of jobs they had. Many were for farm managers, but a handful were for full time work and apprenticeships to learn how to farm. Reading the descriptions to these apprenticeships was like a lightbulb turning on in my head, I think I actually teared up with joy! How cool would it be to just go and not only work on a farm, but actually learn everything the farmer already knows, make mistakes now before you get your own land, learn how to plant, produce, harvest, and make money off of it, all while getting paid, spending all day outside, etc.?!

It might not sound interesting so most of you, but haven't you ever just wanted to take a chance at something else, even though it sounded a little crazy? What was holding you back? Did you take that leap? If not, have you regretted it? I figured it couldn't hurt checking into it and getting more information. So I updated my resume, sent an e-mail to the apprenticeships that were paid and FT, and I went for it! I don't have any kids or huge responsibilities, besides Izzy and Calli, so why not? As long as I'm getting paid, keeping A's in my classes, and doing something I enjoy, what can be so wrong??

NOTHING! It has been a little over 1 month since I started working FT as an apprentice for an organic vegetable farm and I just LOVE it! I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders and I can breathe again!

There was some hard work getting here, having to go through the awkward two week notice for my current job thing and tell people I'd rather work on a farm than do this, kind of move out of the home my boyfriend and I share and PT move into an apartment 2.5hrs away, within a 3 week notice, find a place, move furniture and decide what I should take, what can I leave while I'll be at work, move the cat and dog, and oh yeah! Tell my parents I'm leaving a secured job for something that's....not always? =| It's hard living or giving up something for someone else, and this is just something I had to do for myself, no regrets! I can't wait to post more about some of my first experiences and first lessons!

Thanks for reading!