I have jobs (intentionally plural)! I'm super thankful that my stint with unemployment was brief, but not so brief that I didn't enjoy a nice break. Really, if you're going to be unemployed, I think my unemployment was about as perfect as it gets, lasting about a month. I am way more blessed than I deserve, but that's generally always been the case.
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So what am I doing now? Well, I knew I didn't want another full-time job since I'm hoping to stay as home with baby as much as we can afford. After looking into a couple part-time positions in an office setting, it seemed like I wouldn't be making enough to justify the costs of part-time daycare. Not to mention that there are additional ways to save money (cloth diapers, less breastfeeding accessories) by keeping baby at home. I have had a couple freelance jobs come up which is wonderful and I'm sure excited about them and hoping for more. In a perfect world, I would make enough freelancing to just do that, but at this point, we could use a little extra money, so I'm now barista-ing at a local coffee shop.
I got the coffee shop idea from Our Little Apartment. And while it's not really what I had in mind for myself at 27, I think that this is honestly what's best for me and Lee and baby at this point in life. Since coffee shop opens ridiculously early (5:30!!!) I'll be able to go in a few mornings a week while Lee stays home with baby. He'll be able to answer some e-mails, make some phone calls and then I'll be home around 10 and he can head in to work. It won't be a lot of extra money, but it won't cost us anything (but gas) to earn it.
I started there a couple weeks ago and so far I love it. My coworkers are super nice. The coffee is super tasty. We're all organic and fair-trade, which I think is awesome. As a local business we do lots to help other local businesses. It's a good company to work for. And there is something strangely fun about making the drinks. A woman was watching me make her latte yesterday and commented, "It really is a bit of an art to make these." Yes, it is.
While I'm super thankful for my jobs, we are far from the income we used to have. But honestly, I've never been happier. I was in a funk this morning, so I took a walk. I can make myself pasta for lunch. When my brain just won't work, I can embrace that, veg out for a bit, and then get back to it at a time that's better for me. I wear sweatpants a lot. I take afternoon naps. Life is grand. :)