366

Today marks 366 days since I left my first career as a corporate event planner. A crazy 366 days it has been too! I do not for one second regret leaving ESRI. I had an incredible experience and learned A LOT!! How many 22 year old, fresh out of college girls get the chance to plan a 14,000 person international event?!?! How many young women get to plan a company's largest events, work with vendors across the country, and travel to the opposite coast annually for a big event that they planned that includes speakers from the white house?!?! I don't think many. I truly learned so much doing it too. Of course it had its rough moments, days, weeks, months...but it was an experience worth having and I realize that although I spent so much time wondering why I was there, I'm glad I was. And if nothing else, I made some truly great friends that I think I will have for a long time. It's hard to travel and spend a week or more with someone and not bond with them! We made some good memories, and I am grateful I can continue to be a part of their lives. As mentioned, I do not regret leaving ESRI. It was the right move to make for many reasons. Plus, I had the passion to pursue a career in education and I am loving that experience. However, I must say that something inside me misses it. Not the company. Not the drama. Not the being unappreciated. But the actual event planning process. I used a different part of my brain and talents when working on events. A part of my brain that actually functions really well. And to be honest, I feel a little rusty and lost without it. I wish that there was some way that I could have my cake and eat it too. Keep being a teacher and working with my beloved students, but still find the time to work on an event here or there on the side. I know it sounds crazy and like I am asking to be in over my head, but I miss it. I really do. Events are something that come naturally to me. I can walk into any given space and see how it should be set up, what kind of lighting would look good, and what color scheme I would want to work with. I even like to speculate in my head how many tables would fit and what shape table would work best. Silly, I know, but I can't turn it off. Every time I go to an event of any kind, all I can think about is what went into putting it together. I criticize the signage, wonder how many hours one person spent answering emails about the most minute details, and  try to guess how many arguments were had over the centerpieces. I know, it's ridiculous, but I love that stuff. My hope and prayer is that someday, one way or another, God will unite my two passions of working with students and planning events. I know that marriage will probably look unlike anything I can imagine, but that's OK with me, since I have come to learn His plans are SO much better than my own. This has been proved to me time and time again and I don't question it for an instance. So here I sit, 366 days later....not even in the place to reflect on my first year as a teacher yet, but finally ready to reflect on my first career. I write this more so that one day, I can look back on this and see what God has done. I know he will bring my two passions together one way or another and I want to have this to look back on say, "Look! I came from this place of longing and THIS is what GOD did for me!" Of course, I am impatient and will struggle through the waiting process, but at least I have the promise of a God who loves me and will use me and the desires of my heart for His own good. So thank you God, for where I have come from, and thank you God, for where you are taking me. Could we just get there a little faster? =)