So, lots of stuff going on in my life right now. A few things I would rather not talk about right now, but also a few topics that I am dying to talk about! My new job for example and leaving my old job yesterday. It was very hard to leave, but ‘thankfully’ my two closest colleagues were not in the office yesterday, so I could kind of secretly walk away. (though the heart shaped box with ‘stroopwafels’ -Dutch caramel cookies- and the goodbye email probably gave me away)

Today was the day to start my new job. I was nervous, even though the company I started working for today is not unfamiliar to me. I have worked there already, years ago, so it felt a little bit like coming home. But most of all, today it felt like I was in the right place. This might come across a bit over the top, but to me it has always been a very big struggle, wanting to be a reporter, not being able to do that (because every time you land a job you will have to leave due to shrinkage of the market), being a management assistant, being okay at that, but just never really felt like really excelling at a job because either I did not feel like this was really what I felt passionate about, or I did not feel like it was a stable job because of the horrible status of current journalism now that everybody can write a blog (haha, see why that is funny? 😉 )

Anyway, the bottom line is that all the secretary/admin/support kind of jobs I have had until now, always were a choice out of not wanting to lose my house, instead of a choice out of really wanting the job badly. Even though I did a full study on being a management assistant, I never really chose it as a profession, because I was always chasing this dream of being a journalist. But, the last few years I have been coming to terms with myself when it comes to that. I have decided that I am very happy with the journalism career I have outside of my job, and it is still my dream to have it as my day job, but I can have both. I can be a kick-ass management assistant too (or at least, try really hard to be 😉 ). In my last job I have learned so many skills that are necessary as an assistant in an internationally operating organisation, that I am confident enough now to say: I choose this job.

Even though I mostly chose the employer and even the manager specifically at my new job, I am happy that this time it was a choice I made myself, and not a choice I had to make because I needed the money (which weirdly makes me sound like a stripper :S ). So I am happy to have this fresh start. This is one of the many reasons I wanted to really start March off with a clean slate, do the ‘no spend March’, try to cycle to work, eat more healthy, et cetera: this is the chance to see if I can be a professional, healthy and strong woman just like I am supposed to be, so I cannot just rock two different professions at once, but also shine like a freaking star in my personal life. Setting the bar high much? Hey, it’s no spend March, gotta do something to keep my mind off of shopping… 😉

PS: Totally forgot to actually tell you how my first job was: it was one of the best first days on the job I have ever had. They bought me amazing flowers, they were very nice to me, explained everything in a very understandable manner and even my boss blocked 1.5 hours in his calendar to talk to me and we had a great, open conversation. I am actually scared for tomorrow, seeing as it can probably only go downhill from here 😮