It is Sunday night after a nice, long, very lazy four day weekend. I have watched movies, curled up on a blanket under my sofa; I’ve fielded text messages from former coworkers telling me how jealous of me they are; I’ve read an entire book and had a dance party to Paul Simon’s Graceland CD; I’ve had celebratory drinks with friends at one of my favorite local haunts; I’ve had brunch in Denver with bottomless mimosas and wandered an antique mall just for the heck of it. All because I had the time to do it and the people to do it with.
It’s Sunday night and tomorrow is my real, true Monday. Usually Mondays were my days off; I would see all the complaints pouring in on Twitter, Facebook and text messages about the weekend being over and I would sit there, admittedly a little bitter, and think–I’ve been working all weekend and tomorrow I get one day off before I work for another few days before getting another one off. I never thought when I’d accepted that retail furniture job over a year and a half ago how big of an impact losing my nights and weekends would have on my life. Over the past year and a half, though, my quality of life has diminished.
I’ve dreamed of getting a job that allowed me to get that part of my life back. It seemed like a far away dream, something I’d never accomplish. I felt like I was in a whirlpool with this job, just circling and circling around, never to leave. And then I got an interview and an offer. Towards the beginning of February, after a few panic attacks, I accepted the job and what seemed like forever a way (about three weeks), finally is here. I’m so nervous, so excited and loving that my first weekend was lazy and that my second weekend involves a trip up into the mountains for a much needed girls weekend. It’s also my first weekend mountain trip!
Side note: Weekend mountain trips are kind of synonymous with living in Colorado. In all the two years that I’ve lived here, I have yet to do this and so I don’t feel like I’m officially a Coloradoan yet.
The opening up of my weekends has me thinking of all the possibilities. I want to refurbish furniture and do more DIY projects; I want to learn how to golf (which I think is the most far flung thing since I am the least athletic person I know) and pick up new hobbies; I am excited by all the blogging that is going to happen and all the travel I’m going to be doing. And all the weekends that will look very similar to this one (with hopefully as many mimosas as well 
)
I don’t know about you, but I’m excited for my Monday. Happy Monday everyone!
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“Weekend mountain trips are kind of synonymous with living in Colorado.”
YES to this! And now I am tempted to come visit before TBEX, so I can do this too. :p
I’m so excited that you have weekends off. I’m so excited that you’re looking forward to tomorrow. You are going to be great.
This is so exciting! And the Graceland album is the best.
You know, if you think that 9-5 usually sounds very boring… think again. Unless you do something for a living that you love and breathe every day, no job is worth losing your evenings and weekends over.
We work to live, don’t live to work
Very excited for you!!
Ahhhhhh, so excited for you!
Yay! That’s so awesome. I spent years working weekend jobs (while studying all week). I remember the first time I had a true weekend off and I told myself I would never take it for granted! My life is very different now – stay at home mum with a young baby, but I still pause each weekend and think how lucky I am to not be working
I hope you enjoy your first real Monday!
Yay for the 9-5! I felt so odd when I was finally working only a 9-5, as when I started mine I kept my retail as well. But having weekends off is wonderful. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Even if I do mostly spend them lying around.
Hope today is going great!!!
It can be a weird feeling to get your weekends back. Not long after I left uni I worked in a call centre for 18 months and usually had a midweek day and a sunday off – i hated it but it sort of had its advantages too (well – one advantage. You could go shopping on a wednesday when it wasn’t too busy) and actually adjusting to working five days in a row when I started working monday to friday actually took me a bit of adjustment. But now I don’t think I could go back to working weekends, apart from the odd spot of overtime.
eee! so happy and excited for you!!
I hope the first day was awesome.
I kind of have the opposite problem. I am under employed and have been for a while. I only work a couple hours a day from 2-5, so every day kind of feels like a weekend. I am ready to experience a work week and a weekend. I think some people take being busy for granted. When you are surrounded by nothing but free time it is overwhelming.