New Year, New Whatever

This year is going to be different.

I don't mean that in a resolution-y way; I'm not doing resolutions this year. I always say that, but this year, I'm not even doing the thing where I list out my goals/things to improve upon (or, y'know, resolutions) that I usually do. I mean it in an actual way, in that this year is going to be different than past years, and I have no control over that fact.

Right before I left work for my holiday break, I found out that I've been accepted for a new position that I had applied for, effective pretty much immediately upon returning to work. Which is awesome, awesome, awesome. However, this new position comes with a different schedule - my dream schedule, actually: Monday thru Friday, off by 5 PM every day. I've been dreaming of such a schedule ever since I took my first serving job and have been on random (sometimes nightmarish) schedules ever since. But! I've been on some iteration of my current schedule (which is Tuesday thru Saturday; hours have varied over time but are currently daytime hours) for such a long time that I've gotten so used to it that I'm a little apprehensive about it changing, no matter how "ideal" the new schedule is. On my current schedule, Jeff and I each have one "alone day", where we have the house to ourselves during the day and can spend it doing whatever we please (I usually go the thrilling route of cleaning the house and cooking an elaborate dinner, because I'm a 1950's housewife, apparently), and one day off to spend together, which has been pretty ideal. Plus, my "alone day" always fell on a Monday, which means if I had errands to run I had the whole world to myself, with everyone else at school/work. It was lovely, and I had gotten so used to it that I all but refuse to enter a grocery store/the mall/any public place during busy weekend hours.

So, it will take some adjusting. It's not all bad, though. I've also considered the fact that we'll now be able to actually take weekend trips on occasion without one of us having to take time off work, and we can spend a weekend here or there at the beach (or "down the beach", as the locals say) like the entire rest of the Delaware population during the summer if we so choose. I can also start making trips to the farmer's market that I used to work at when I was with Drip on Saturday mornings, which was a no-go previously since I always had to work. Most of my friends aren't really on normal schedules because a lot of them are nurses or servers or have other careers that involve shift work, but it still FEELS like everyone has normal weekends off, and I've always felt like somewhat of the odd man out (more so when I had to work Friday or Saturday nights, but still.)

Anyway, I hope everyone had a great holiday. Ours was SUPER relaxing (to the point of where we had to leave the house yesterday for dinner and a movie, because we both felt cabin fever creeping in even though we technically were traveling for several hours the day before). For the first time in...five? years, Jeff and I are staying in by ourselves this New Year's Eve, and I'm actually pretty excited to spend a cozy night eating finger foods, drinking champagne, and watching the ball drop in our PJs. I'll be back to regular posting next week, and may or may not be back before then with some kind of a year-end wrap up post; I haven't decided yet. If not, I hope everyone has a safe, fun and happy New Year's Eve!