I will be a career girl soon. (Envision a cute suit, sleek ponytail, heels, portfolios, RFPs, me chewing ever so slightly on the end of my pen as I narrow my eyes and contemplate just the perfect phrase to complete the narrative response). My writing career has arrived and all is right with the world. Well, all is right with my world, anyway. I have been striving for this moment for as long as I can remember, and I am really proud of myself for achieving success at last. Two challenging interviews, tons of company research, and a five page paper on consumerism in healthcare later, I received an official offer and will start my new position on the 14th. I'm very excited about entering corporate America. Last January I had written down some goals and ideas regarding my career path (in a stream-of-consciousness fashion) because I knew I wouldn't stay in the non-profit sector forever. It's interesting to see what a difference a year can make:

"I need to decide what I want to do for the rest of my life. It’s seriously been bothering me for the past couple of months. I feel restless…and uneasy…and worried that I am not going to amount to much of anything. I mean how do we end up where we are, career-wise? I want to be a writer. However, writing is not a feasible full-time option. I am more than willing to begin writing every day in the hopes that someday I will be able to freelance…or finish the young adult novel that I so enthusiastically started. But what am I going to DO to make a difference? Where am I going to be in five years? I hate not knowing the answers. I’m 27 and I really wish I was more on the career path that I had imagined myself on—being an associate editor or a proofreader or a writer somewhere, anywhere. I guess I’m just waiting for something to happen…which is not very proactive of me. I am determined to change my job within the next year…and I’m looking forward to a fresh start."

And here we are in 2008, and I will be enjoying my fresh start. I have to give major thanks to my dad for always telling me to write down my goals and focus on them to make them happen. Despite the fact that finding the perfect job occasionally took more time and effort than I was willing to give, the outcome is well worth it. I also want to thank my mom, Jeff, the rest of my family and friends for their constant support and encouragement. Thank you for believing in me, and for believing in my abilities. I don't think that I would be where I am today without the positive thoughts, phone calls and emails. There were days when I honestly thought that I didn't have the talent or the intelligence to obtain such a professional position, and I appreciate those who reassured me otherwise. I know now that I have it in me; that I am smart enough to take on a new and interesting challenge. I'm looking forward to reporting on what I learn during this next step.

Until then...