The 'end of the world' turned out to be a pretty good day, after all

A fortune cookie I opened last week predicted: "Next Friday will be an exciting day for you." Meanwhile, everyone else seemed to be talking about the supposed Mayan prediction that the world would end on 12/21/12. Had doomsday actually come to pass, I suppose that would have been pretty exciting.

Instead, yesterday I received and accepted a job offer from UAB. I'll be starting January 2 in the school's office of Customer Service & Quality Improvement with the title "Web Communications Manager."

Take that, Mayans.

Being out of work has been incredibly stressful. There's the worry over what you'll do next and whether it will come in time. There's a surprising amount of boredom in not going to work each day. But most of all, there's a lot of waiting. Any time I wasn't actively seeking a job (filling out applications, networking, interviewing, or just scouring the internet for openings) I felt like I was squandering the clock. There's only so much of that stuff you can do each week though, so the house stayed clean and I caught up on a lot of movies on Netflix.

I cannot begin to express how much it has meant to have had the support of my family and friends over the past three months. So many people have told me that they've been praying for me, and it has truly touched my heart and helped me feel cared for. Several others have passed job leads, recommendations, advice, or endorsements my way, and it has been exceptionally helpful. To all who have reached out to me, you have my earnest thanks.

Whenever someone starts a new job, they say something along the lines of "I'm excited to be joining x company," so it may sound cliched. However, I really am excited about this opportunity. The work I'll be doing is something I believe I'm going to enjoy, and the people I've met so far have been a welcoming bunch. UAB just feels like the sort of place where I will thrive. That's something to be excited about indeed.