A New Beginning

Tomorrow is my first day as a full-fledged member of the Washington, D.C. workforce. Truthfully, it's my first day as a full-fledged member of any workforce. I have worked in D.C. before as an intern and have interned other places as well, but when I say "full-fledged" I mean it comes with a paycheck and without a predetermined end date. Somehow those two things make it a lot scarier. Maybe scary isn't the right word, though. Actually, the way I am feeling reminds me of how I felt nearly every year at the beginning of a new school year. Each new year, I knew I had been prepared and educated to a point that should allow me to succeed in the next school year. That was comforting, but the reality of the unknown still made me a little anxious. That pretty much sums up how I'm feeling about my situation now. One big difference with starting work is the schedule. Even though new school years were a mix of excitement and anxiety, I essentially knew what I was getting myself into. For 17 years straight, I started a new school year every September and I got the hang of it. I actually got pretty good at it. School was something I enjoyed and I could handle. Working is a new ball game. I've never had such a scheduled life with so little flexibility. At school I could choose when to study and when to take break. Aside from the four hours of class everyday, my time was essentially my own. Not anymore. My schedule will be typical, 8:30 - 5:30, by no means a ridiculous workload. Still, it's more scheduled than ever before. I tend to thrive on schedules, though, so maybe I will just love it. I'm going to go with that - I think I'm going to love it. Wish me luck!