The past week has been full of changes for me. I left my job as a community nutritionist, which I had started one year ago (to the day). I decided that I was ready for a change, for a new challenge, and possibly even a new career path. I was tired of being the lone nutritionist in a sea of patients, most of whom preferred not to use the nutrition advice I had given them. It was difficult to face each day full of unsuccessful attempts at improving patients’ health, and hour after hour of no-shows.

So I accepted a job at a vet clinic just a few blocks from my home. I was so excited…the place seemed fun, full of fuzzy animals and friendly people, and hey, it was just a 5 minute walk from home! I was told I could make my own schedule, work as many hours as I wanted, and still make a fairly good hourly wage. Sounded perfect.

Too bad the vet clinic was run by Dr. Drill Sergeant. I spent one day in the clinic and knew it was not something I could subject myself to on a daily basis. The policy manual dictated the correct dialogue to use when addressing the Drill Sergeant: “Dr. Drill Sergeant, sir, your 9:00 appointment is here.” There were policies on using “sir” or “maam” when speaking to supervisors, and rules about which way the paper clip should be attached to the paper (big loop to the front, directly over the third line). The Drill Sergeant preferred the office to be neat and tidy (and would reprimand staff for allowing a smudge of hi-liter to be on the desk). He never acknowledged my existence, and I learned from other receptionists that he had yet to address them at all, though they had worked there for weeks. There were horror stories about his “structured” environment, and when he entered the area, someone would say, “the Drill Sergeant is here, sit up straight!”

Needless to say, it was not a fun place to be.

So, as of today, I am jobless. And somehow, it feels satisfying. A little bit of time to rest, think about things, figure out exactly what my brain is up to, and smell the flowers. I’m sure I’ll find something else, and I know I can always do private consulting. But for now, in the words of my sister, perhaps it was destiny that I left my old job, hated my new job, now have no job, and can actually just be.

For all of you out there who love what you do, cheers.