The Difference

So, I made it! I survived the last few weeks of overdrive at the old job, moved halfway across the country, and started my new position a couple of weeks ago. The differences are amazing. The practice I came to is a much larger one, with several doctors and several locations. The offices run like well oiled machines, and the staff is top-notch. Everything is also on EMR, which makes it an interesting learning curve. The work is the same, but I always loved the actual job. The biggest difference, however, is the impact on my family and life.

Instead of having only 4 days off a month, I now average 4-6 calls a month (and this month there are only 3 calls...breaking me in easy). No longer am I mentally dividing myself between work and home every night. I get to come home at night and turn off my brain. When I am not on call, I am free to make plans...go out with friends, take the kids for a walk, go to my little girl's swim lessons. I no longer feel as though I have one foot out of the door at all times. I'm not obsessively checking the hospital census trying to spy potential labor patients. I'm doing what I love to do again, playing with my kids, reading books, going to movies, and seeing live music. I have a life again, and life is good. Mr. Whoo remarked, unprovoked, how happy he was to have "me" back. I had no idea how much of myself had been squelched by my lifestyle. I see the difference with my children, as well. CindyLou exclaimed to me just yesterday, "I love my happy mommy!" I love *being* a happy mommy. It was a scary leap to make, but so far, so good. May the scales of work and life balance tip more favorably for us all going forward, it makes such a difference.