Life in 2022 seemed to be looking up for me. After two decades in corporate communications, I finally felt like I was on an upward trajectory after years of working hard with little traction. And dammit, I deserved it!

On the brink of complete burnout at the end of 2019, going through a dark night of the soul following my cancer diagnosis in March 2020 was a life-changer for me. After that, I set boundaries, stopped accepting crumbs, and became far more assertive. After seven years doing the same job, it was past time to do something else.

I lobbied hard to earn the job I started in April 2022. It represented one of the few times in my professional career when I loved my job and felt an upward trajectory; as it turned out, 2022 was merely a year of respite before getting laid off the next year.

It was nice to travel as a happy professional:

Spring Break with My Nephew: As spring break approached for my oldest nephew, he decided he wanted to visit his favorite Aunt Annie. I knew at the time my career was going to improve, so I was in the mood for a road trip to visit Amarillo, Colorado, and Wyoming.
Bay Area Team Building: Following a team reorganization and post-COVID awakening, I arrived a few days early to explore the San Francisco area on my own before spending a week with my new teammates.
Great Work Trip of 2022: After making a stop at our new Atlanta office, I took advantage of a work perk to spend a month working from the road.
Holidays in London: London during the holidays was amazing!

The trips I took in 2022 are bittersweet to me now because two of them were working trips at a time when I was on a rare career high of the time. Though I view the layoff as a mostly positive thing, I’d be lying if I said I felt that way all the time. I’m sure it’s still obvious I am working through some of my feelings, but with the healing work I have done, I know in time I’ll view my 2022 trips with mostly a smile.