It's over, and I am so happy

I filed for divorce today. And Karl was all for it. Okay, it was from my job. Scared you, huh? I think when you've been with a job for 10 years, devoted your life to that job, worked endless hours and given all you can to that job, you aren't quitting. I call it moving on. It's a new chapter in my life. Mortenson hired me part time to do some drawing for them back in 1998. I was fortunate enough to be on a project that the superintendent took a liking to me, and took me under his wing to teach me the ropes. I went full time shortly after being hired, and was soon in the field counting rebar and watching concrete pours. I've spent the last ten years moving around the country, project to project, learning knew things, meeting new people, moving up the ladder, even picked up a husband along the way.

But the last 18 months have been trying for me. The company took a different turn in their dealings, and didn't have the same career path in mind for me that I wanted to take. So despite all I gave to this company, they've forced my hand. I've been working at Fort Lewis for the last 2-1/2 years, and have been working with the same people from the Army Corps of Engineers that whole time. Something can be said for making good relationships, both in the workplace, and as friends. Which I have done with this group.

There is something to the old addage "in the right place at the right time". I've been wanting to leave Mortenson for the last year, but the economy hasn't been conducive to my job search. And despite my efforts to get a job with the Corps, unless you can claim service in the military, you're basically out of luck. I sent my resume to a company in August, but never heard anything. Till two weeks ago. Things moved quickly, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, or how I would get out of my current job. How do you explain you're leaving to go work for the "enemy"? But as I pondered what to do, and talked to various people, things happened that made me think "this is weird, doors are being opened to me that I wouldn't expect". And as my friend from the Corps noted, sometimes you just have to be in the right place at the right time. And the recommendation of 2 of those people from the Corps helped a little too. So I accepted a position today with a company that essentially rents me to the Army Corps of Engineers as a quality assurance rep for construction projects. So I am not technically working for the Corps, but I basically am.

I have the typical 2 weeks to get my work in order and ready to dump on some poor soul. Then I'm off to my new adventure. It's going to be weird changing jobs, it's been a while since I've done it. But I'm going to a place I'm familiar with, with people I know, and a job I'm comfortable doing. It took me 10 years to be able to say all those things in one sentence. And it feels so good. I'm so looking forward to this new chapter in my life.