First Week Blues

It's been three weeks since I started on a new job and I knew it is always difficult to come out of your comfort zone but was still surprised with the intensity of my gloom in being away from my family and familiar environment. My first week in the West Midlands was hell. I missed my family (my children especially) so much during that time which was unexpected since I was usually fine with my occassional out-of-town one-week trainings. My goodness, you don't know how many buckets of tears I shed (in secret of course) on my first weekend home. It was just too painful for a mother to be away. The experience certainly made me realise how much my family means to me - me, the objective me the logical me. I didn't realise much motherly emotion I have.

The first meeting I had with my colleagues added to my depression. It was troubling to say the least that I found out what was happening to our production runs (which was mostly bad) with all the attendant problems. The way they portrayed it is like there is no solution and we might as well blow up the whole thing and start over again. I kept saying to myself - what did I get myself into? The tricky part is they have to come up with a working efficient system by December - that's only 6 months away!

The bad weather didn't help at all. Rain was pouring everyday throughout the week. It was May but the temperature was more like late winter. Plus all the places I saw in the area were quite run down places where you wouldn't want to live. I ask - why am I here?

After more than 3 weeks, the fog is lifting. We've got definitely plans to move up here in the West Midlands. It seems there are nice places to live here after my extensive poking around. And there are workable solutions afterall to our work problems. Really, my first week was trying to say the least. I was firmly ready to chuck everything out and never comeback. I'm glad I hung on and just hope this will be the start of better things for me and my family.