Boy, was 2024 quite a year, and not always in the best ways. In fact, I won’t lie, 2024 was HARD. Writing this year in review feels heavy. While there was definitely good stuff mixed in, looking back means revisiting what may have been one of my hardest years.
I Quit
After a series of unfortunate (and frankly unnecessary) dramas and hardships at work, I resigned from a job I loved effective the end of March. It became apparent early in the year that the team that I adored and the work that I enjoyed was starting to crumble. I had stuck out a job that made me miserable once before. I promised myself I was never going to do THAT again. So, without something new lined up or knowing what was coming next, I quit. It was hard, and it was really, really sad, but I knew it was also the right thing to do.
Getting Sick (Like, REALLY Sick)
With two weeks left to go at work, I got sick. The respiratory issues that kicked the whole thing off got better after a couple of weeks. The drug reaction I had to the antibiotics for bronchitis, however, turned into 6 weeks of pure misery. Those weeks involved multiple doctors visits, a trip to the ER, a new dermatologist, and the entire month of April spent on the couch, completely unable to function. I’ve never been on fire, but I’m pretty sure the rash I suffered was pretty close to what it feels like. Six weeks on Prednisone and Benadryl was no walk in the park, but they did at least eventually clear up the rash.
The Job Search Saga
Another negative side effect of these weeks down for the count was that I was unable to continue my job search, and that weighed heavily on me. But, I decided to wait until after my annual trip to Tulsa in May to get back to it. Thank goodness I was healed enough to still make my trip!!! I started finding some exciting prospects and applying, but I wasn’t getting a lot of bites. Job searching is the WOOOORST. It was around this time, though, that a previous boss (who I loved) floated a potential option working for her again. They were still working out the details, but I was definitely on board to consider it.
A Silver Lining: The Personality Palette
One good thing to come out of all of this down time was that I finally started work on the personality research project I had been thinking about. I’d been very curious about what (if any) overlaps there are in personality types. I also wanted to learn how to use Looker Studio, so The Personality Palette was born, and I started blogging about my thoughts on personality.
The New Job
As I wrap up this year in review, I can say that things worked out in unexpected ways. My former boss did offer me that job, and I accepted. The actual work I’m doing is very similar to before, and I work with a truly amazing group of women. It has also been some of the most challenging work and pushed me to grow more than ever. Watching the hardships of the women we serve can be so very hard. It brings a whole new perspective to my own problems (or lack of.) I stretch myself to connect and be with people in ways I didn’t think possible for me. There are things I do every day that certainly don’t come naturally to me, but I also see that I can do things I didn’t know I can do.
