As I mentioned a blog or four ago, I have been out of work since February 1, 2016. Nearly 53 weeks at this point.

At first, the time to regroup and decide what I wanted to do was wonderfully refreshing! I probably spent a little too much time online, but through various courses, and interacting with my friends who were coaches, I was learning a lot. Changing and growing a lot, too. Beginning to figure out where I wanted to go with my life.

So why then was I stuck in unemployment, with no decent prospects? That was a good question, one that I didn’t have an answer to.

Six months dragged by. I applied to only “good jobs” at first, but quickly moved on to “any job that is legal that I can physically do, whether or not I’d like it.” (Not particularly a good vibe to have when job-hunting, by the way!)

Unemployment benefits ran out in August, and I began scrambling to pick up odd jobs (online, mostly) to supplement occasional income teaching sewing and other crafts. I began to go through a lot of “who am I” and “what do I want to be when I grow up” soul searching. And, I prayed for a good job, a job that would be interesting and use my strengths and meet my financial needs.

Come January, those prayers were getting urgent. I was nearly out of money, budgeting gas to get to church and other places I had to be. I didn’t know what I was going to do when the last dollars disappeared.

Then – a miracle.

A phone call out of the blue. A call from an out of state recruiter about a job I hadn’t even applied for.

Now, at first I was skeptical, thinking it was a scam. But no! It was a real job! One that would be steady work, in an interesting field, using my strengths. Okay pay, too, considering how drastically I have cut back expenses in the past year.

In hold-on-to-your-hat speed, I had a phone interview, an in person interview, a second in person interview, and a job offer…all in just five days and it might have been faster except for the intervening weekend.

And – I start tomorrow.

3 – 2 – 1!

Wish me luck!