T minus one week...

In one week from today, I am going to start working at the UNC School of Social Work. Some part of my brain keeps telling me "Do a ton of fun things this week, because next Monday your life is going to end", but when I back up a bit mentally, I am confident that after the initial adjustment to being in a professional setting and away from my little love, this is going to be just the thing for me. I love my life as it is: happy, social, full of wonderful friends, a beautiful family and steady personal growth, but I think that I can handle 20 hours of professional development a week and that it will have important implications for me down the road.


Interestingly, one of my greatest struggles concerning this whole "work" thing has not been about being a good mom - because I think many moms are made better by having a bit of their own thing besides their children - but my greatest struggle has been questioning whether or not I will be able to do this job well. During my graduate school education I was an intern in two separate social work settings, and one of my supervisors was total poison for my confidence. Her feedback to me was so measured and staid that it always left me wondering how she really felt about me and my work, and I find it so interesting that her influence is reaching me even now. I even find myself wondering if I will be organized enough to do this job well: organized? Get real, Voice of Doubt... As a child I used to rearrange the canned food in my Grandmother's pantry in neat rows according to their categories: meats, soups, veggies, fruits... and this was what I did for fun. I can be the epitome of organized! WOMAN, GET OUT OF MY LIFE!

There, I feel better already.

So, just a few things left to do before next Monday. One of the funner tasks is to watch "The Devil Wears Prada" again, just to practice the feeling of a young woman with horrendous fashion sense moving into a high powered work setting where looks matter. Okay, so social work and the fashion industry may not be the same thing, but my wardrobe is a far cry from "business casual" and I am kind of excited to have a reason to dress up. Did I tell you that I will be stepping in for the Director of Recruitment, Admissions and Financial Aid for the Masters of Social Work program ranked #8 in the nation? Yep. Just a wee bit excited...