A Year of Gratitude - Day Three Hundred Seventeen

Day 317 - A Slow Descent

I spent much of the day composing my thoughts on the lessons I’ve learned over the past three years.  I’ve always suspected this would be a time of growth for me, and I have no doubt that is true.  I want to offer some kind of retrospective, and figure it will take me some time to distill all the things I’ve learned (some lessons came over and over again).  I will post these lessons as a separate entry here.

I went to the gym again today, and happened to run into the general manager toward the end of my workout; I had been wondering if he were still in charge here, and decided I’d wait to give feedback until after I’d been back for a week or so, just in case my positive impressions were misguided.  But here he was, and I gave him my initial reactions to the renovation.  He seemed pleased to see the change in my attitude, already being aware of the change in his staff.

I received a call from my soon-to-be boss, Vanessa, congratulating me and telling me how thrilled they are that I'm joining the team.  She even said, based on what I've done in the past, she is confident I have all the skills and abilities I need to do a great job.  Can it get any better than this?  She didn't have to call me today - she could have said all this when I arrived Monday morning.  But she called me today.  I am ecstatic.

I had dinner with my dear friends James and Scott in Downey.  The food was so delicious I ate far more than I should have.  Their friendship means a lot to me, and we celebrated my good news together.  What a lovely evening.

I’m starting to relax - probably for the first time in years.  I was a little concerned that the offer letter didn’t come to me within the time promised, until it arrived in my inbox at 11:40 PM.  (I imagine their email system must be to blame for that - I can't imagine Stacey would be at work that late.)  I’m going to be working again next week.

I don’t think I’ve felt this good in half a decade.  I told some networking colleagues a few weeks ago that I felt as if I were on a roller coaster, just as the car is cresting at that first big drop.  It’s the moment I like least on such a ride, as the sensation of falling fills me with sheer panic.  What’s interesting about today’s experience is that the descent was easy - slow, comfortable... comforting.  

I’m floating in for a landing.  (Is this real?  Somebody pinch me.)