Rainy Thoughts: Getting Furloughed from Your Dream Job

Hey everyone! It has been a minute since I wrote a Rainy Thoughts post. If you're new here, I usually just write book reviews, but every now and then, I like to write about random other things that I may be thinking of, feeling, etc. I wanted to write about something that recently happened to me that I think others can relate too, especially now.

The Dream Job...

If you asked me what I wanted to do when I was in college, I had two answers for you. I wanted to either be a full-time, traveling author or I wanted to work in a job where I was doing marketing for events put on by the city and where I didn't have to be at my desk all day, possibly tourism. Lo and behold, I found that job. I was/kinda still kinda am, working for the San Antonio River Walk Association. I loved my job. I was out and about, meeting new people from different backgrounds, I was helping promote businesses to locals and tourists, I was doing marketing, and there would be days that I would be at my desk for 2 out of the 8 hour work day. It was beautiful. I really felt like I found my niche, like I was right where God wanted me to be at the moment.

And then Covid...

And then Covid happened. Our association is a non-profit in the tourism industry with events. We were not in that first round of furloughs and layoffs that happened back in March, but it seemed a bit inevitable that we would be affected. And about a week after celebrating my one year anniversary with the River Walk on June 24, we got the news we were being furloughed at the end of the week.

I literally went to my car during lunch, pulled out my leftover Peter Piper Pizza and cried a bit. I was doing what I wanted to do. I felt full-filled in my position, I was thriving. Now, it feels like I have to start over in a sense.

Temporary or New Dreams...

To some people, a job is just there to pay the bills. In a sense, I get that. I can't live off of hopes and dreams alone (that's why I'm not a full time traveling author yet), but happiness is a big part of my job decision. I need to feel that excitement and fulfillment in my job. I can't just have a job to have a job, because then it's not a career it's just me being a slave to money and looking at the clock non-stop wondering when I'm going to get off.

Now I am currently looking for new job opportunities, because it doesn't look like the River Walk will be needing me full-time anytime in the near future. I've applied to a couple of part-time, full-time, contract and temp jobs, but it feels weird. It feels like I am trying to find a new passion, a new dream, even if it is temporary or contracted.

What's Next?

I have no idea what or where I'll be in a few months from now, let alone a few weeks. I feel nervous, yet trying to look up. I'm still living, so there's some other purpose, some other job, for me to fulfill out there. I'm keeping the door to the River Walk open, but I'm also looking ahead to other doors because I may find something else that I find fulfills my passion. Maybe I'll do something amazing at my next job, or maybe I just find something temporary for now to pay the bills. Either way, I and everyone else who is in the same boat, we just gotta keep moving forward and we can't let this break us down. Keep moving with the waves and see where our boat of life lands.