Source
As you may remember from my introduction (or maybe you don't) I'm an English (as a Foreign Language) teacher, I graduated recently, and I had a position to teach at the university from where I graduated. This all happened at the start of this year.
Welp, things have changed quite a lot since then.
I had to quit my job as a teacher right after the semester ended, because I was not getting paid. I know, I know, it sounds pretty crazy, but the university has this kind of arrangement where teachers who are hired for only one semester don't get paid until the end of the semester. At first I thought things would be fine, since I thought I could get support from my parents, but things got very rough very fast around here (because of our country's economy) so... Working a steady job while not receiving anything was out of the question very fast.
Because of this decision I felt sad and discouraged
"What the hell am I supposed to do with my life, now that my dream job felt more like a nightmare and not a dream at all?"
I then, went through one of the weirdest depressive periods of my life.
I looked okay, acted okay, felt okay?
But something was distinctively odd about this "okay"
I felt no joy, or sadness, or even anger. I was just a hollow meat suit going around my days, repeating everything over and over and over--- Nothing felt exciting or even BAD. I was empty as a hollow vase.
I started to see no ending of this depressive bout, I needed a job fast because things were getting pretty tight (of course), and Steemit just didn't seem like a good place for me at the time, because I didn't feel like a talented/funny/worthy person all around to be on this platform. I was just in a shitty mindstate all around.
But then, change knocked at my door, and dragged me by my ankles out of bed. It was a new beggining.
My father arranged a meeting with his boss, at a construction company, where a translator was needed. Now, take into consideration that I know English moderately well (I mean... that's my carreer basically?) but I knew NOTHING about translating/interpreting other people's conversations, so I was more than nervous when I went on the interview.
Luckily everything went by amazingly, and I got called back immediately.
Anyways, to not make it seem like I'm writing on my diary, and to not make it longer, I got the job at the weird company. Great. Now what?
Well, boy was I a fish out of water!
The company centers itself around engineering; mechanical, oil, civil, you name it, they do it. Roads, tanks, houses, buildings, piping, everything of the sort. So this was obviously some new territory for me. I come from classrooms and whiteboards and markers, not dirt and machines and NUMBERS!! (I hate math, let's make that clear).
I obviously didn't know anything my first day here, so I had to learn tons of new things, words, terms, and even a little bit of AutoCad was splashed into the mix. All of this just so I can make a good job at translating all the letters, presentations, and meetings I'm meant to, because technical engineering language is (or was) definitely not a part of my language -at all-.
Now, after a month here, I'm starting to see the importance and the big lesson this job has meant for me. The big step I took for it. Not only did I give myself permission to step away out of my comfort zone (which is pretty big, not gonna lie) but I also gave myself the opportunity to learn new things and to exercise new skills I didn't know I had, or that were hidding underneath the surface of my own fears and doubts.
I have discovered that I am greatly interested in many of the branches of engineering there are present around here, and that some of the things they do here are very cool and very fun to learn about. I'm also learning that being surrounded mostly by men is liberating, and comforting in a waty. Everyone treats me like a little sister, a daughter or umm... like a princess? (lol my feminist self is giving me the side eye, but I can't help it). It's nice around here, and there is always something new to learn about, and ask about (which I love).
All of this makes me feel very happy and at peace with myself, because I said yes, and decided to embark myself in this great adventure so very far from home (a.k.a the classroom). It makes me feel like I can do other things besides spit out the explanation for the "to be" verb 20,000 times a week, it makes me feel like I'm alive, growing and expanding.
We'll see how it all turns out, but for now, I want to keep learning and improving myself. There will always be a lesson to learn.
