Jitter Bug

I'm down to my last few hours of freedom before I return to work full-time tomorrow. And I must admit, I'm a total stress ball.

It's kind of like the first day of elementary school. You have no idea what to expect. Will you like your boss? Will you like your coworkers? Will they like you? Will you like the job? Will you be able to find the bathroom when necessary? Will you be dressed appropriately?

There are all the questions about how this will affect my life in general - how will I adjust to the commute? How will I find time to work out and run? Will I be able to get the housework done? How in the world will I make time for everything I need to get done? Will the puppies hate me for abandoning them for hours on end?

And most surprisingly, I'm sad. Sure, I'm thrilled to finally have a job. To be a productive member of society again. But I'm also kind of sad to see my unemployment end. I mean, when else will I get the opportunity to do whatever the heck I want for weeks on end? The funny part is, I was so worried about finding a job and not spending money, that I couldn't fully enjoy the time off. And now that I have a job and money to once again spend as I please, I'll have no time to enjoy it! It's a nasty Catch-22.

I'm also sad to see my time as a telecommuter really truly come to an end. I know it's been five months since I lost my job, but I kind of kept expecting Ashton Kutcher to jump out from some bush and tell me I've been punked. The company didn't fold and my job is still right where I left it - won't I pretty please come back? I guess that just speaks to how much I loved my old job, my boss, my employees and the perks of being a telecommuter. I'd go back in a heartbeat, if I could.

I know tomorrow the thrill of the new challenge will rush in and I'll be fine. I'm excited about the challenges and opportunities at the new company. I'm excited about meeting new people and flexing my work muscles again. And I'm excited about dressing up for the office (because we all know, everything comes back to the clothes!). Whenever I start to lose focus, I'll just hold onto these things. That...and the promise of a good glass of wine at the end of a long and hopefully productive day!