There is something immensely satisfying about coming home after 13 hours of work and immediately removing all traces of the makeup I adorn myself with. Shedding the white coat and scrubs and realizing no one can force me to wear pants for the rest of the night.
It is such a relief to come home and focus on my real life. Call my family. Fix some dinner. Get ready for bed. I may turn on the TV for a few minutes to scope out the weather and then I am hopefully unwound enough to settle in for some much needed sleep.
I think I am acclimating to the environment. It could be the 50 degree weather we had the past two days… Lovely. I was not shivering every time I opened the door.
I try not to think about work too much when I am not there. I am finding the task much easier these days. Figuring out how to let go of the patients when I leave the confines of the hospital is probably going to be the best lesson I can learn.
Removing the shroud of intense responsibility should feel like a relief. There should be a lightness in my step. It is okay to have a life outside of my career. My job does not have to be the defining characteristic of my existence. I can be so much more.
Still learning lessons. Still growing up. It is part of what makes life interesting. I am grateful for all the opportunities I have been given. I only have to remember to use them well.
The Accidental Boxer 