work hard, play hard – #boostyourpositivity

This edition of #boostyourpositivity has had me struggling, you know. In a positive way, though, as it has me reflecting on things, which is good. I like a challenge or two when it comes to that.
Anyway, this post is a bit overdue since we kicked off this Monday with a new theme (body), but I still wanted to write a little something about the previous theme: #showyourjob.

Mind you, one of my resolutions upon starting this blog was to keep work, specifically the day job, rather private and most of all separate from what I’m writing about here. I think that has been a good choice up until now. When the ladies behind #boostyourpositivity announced the #showyourjob theme, I was not sure which approach I would take towards it. I talked it through with fellow blogger and colleague Valerie who inspired me to do write something, so here we go!

Now, while I could start out with a fun fact (or maybe two… teasing you here!) about me, I’ve decided to keep that for a future blog post (sorry, not sorry!). Anyway, after a couple of years extra in school I ended up as a web developer for four years. During those years I started to feel that I might be better on the other side of the projects I was working on and I was lucky enough to have my current employer having the confidence in me which resulted in hiring me almost five years ago. I may not be a project manager pur sang though as my job sure varies from day to day, but I really love what I do and wouldn’t exactly like to return to web development. I really love the diversity and am proud to be working here taking on the challenges in a market that is far from obvious nowadays.

What I value a lot in a job are the colleagues. Take it or leave it, but these are the people you spend eight hours a day with, that is more than you and your loved ones do on a daily basis. While people have deceived me from time to time (throughout school and on the work field), I am safe to say that I found a group of very nice people who I work with, some more direct than others. We also meet up for activities during the weekend which sometimes scares me: what if one of us was to leave the company? How would that affect our relationship? I think I know the answer to that, but I try to stay clear from the so-called ‘what if’ situations nowadays, but that may be fuel for another blog post.

On to the next job then. Almost a year ago (time flies!), I started out as a freelance photographer. My husband really pushed me here in the plunge when it comes to this one. Mind you, I will be forever grateful to him because of that. My day job doesn’t allow me to travel (for the job), but I’ve found myself in a very lucky spot when it comes to the perks of being a photographer. Never would I have thought to end up in Santorini or Geneva during this first year on the job, but I did and I couldn’t be more happy about it. I’ve been reflecting on this past year and have some new ideas in the making as well, so stay tuned for more!

Sometimes I tend to dream big. Ever since I’ve started following Audrey of Urbanic on Instagram, I knew it: one day I will visit her shop. I did and from the moment I set foot in it I also knew that this is my big dream. I’m not sure if it will ever happen, Belgium does not exactly have the best audience for this kind of shop, but when it does (and if I win the lottery), I can totally see myself opening up an Urbanic-like boutique. If I dream really, really big, that shop is set in a foreign location although I would miss my parents and brother immensely if we were to relocate for our/my job(s).

Juggling two jobs nowadays, I can only guess about how to keep up with everything once we start adding to the family. However, reading all these stories about people facing the same challenges each and every day gave me the confidence to know that I’ll be able to find that balance, too.