Living in a Museum and Other Musings

When your house is on the market, it's much like living in a museum. To prepare, you have to "declutter" and remove the majority of personal items from your walls. Every morning you wake up often unsure of whether strangers will be entering your house that day to determine if they could make it their own. Putting your shoes away, making the bed, and wiping down the bathroom counters become a required part of your morning routine. If you're running late, you can't just leave the outfits you decided not to wear on your bed or your dishes in the sink. The days when no one shows are the most frustrating, not only because the more people who come, the better the chance of selling the house, but also because all the cleaning and tidying was for nothing. Sometimes, when you just don't feel like cleaning up anymore, you're tempted to shout to the world, "I still live here!" Even though it feels like you live in a museum.

On the flip side, I love my job! When I interviewed for the admin asst job that I originally applied for at CPX, everyone told me that this was a great place to work, and they were right. The people are great, and I'm definitely learning a lot. Plus, after three internships, it's really nice to be a real employee. Some small (and not so small) joys: when I go to the bathroom, I have my own key to get back in; I can send outside e-mail, and in fact, it's encouraged; I have a voicemail message on my phone; If I need something, all I have to do is ask; I'm included on company-wide e-mail lists; People make the effort to get to know me...and, after 7 months of unemployment/temp work after graduation, I'm finally using the skills I worked so hard to acquire for four years. Needless to say, in this economy, I am so grateful.