Am I Dreaming?
- an amazing partner (this isn't new, but it is something I have appreciated daily for the last two years...and yes, it will be a two full years as of Sunday!)
- a remarkable home (that I still haven't quite gotten over)
- and an unbelievable job.
I have just completed the first week of my new job and the time has drifted by with me lost in a daze. Marcus thinks I've been acting strange, but really it's shock and awe at having something so amazing happen to me that I can hardly believe it. It's very much like like the time my old boss took me suit shopping (and spent a considerable sum on my professional wardrobe). I was stunned to the core and cried in the car on the way home, letting out the overwhelming feelings that result from that kind of generosity.
Such has been my feeling this week. My days begin with a ferry ride in to Circular Quay. I get to look out the window at all of the big, beautiful waterfront houses and sail boats and speculate on who the people who live in those houses might be. As the boat glides and bobs along, I get to stare out the window, in a half-asleep state and watch the trees, boats and fishermen float on by. Finally the boat pulls into the quay, with the opera house to my left and a cruise boat to my right (and, hilariously enough, the cruise boat I went on all those years ago was at the terminal on Wednesday!). I then walk up the hill, under the Harbour Bridge, down some stairs and out onto Wharf 4, the wharf that houses the Sydney Theatre Company. I walk along the old, wooden planked floor past the box office and theatres with performance pictures keeping me company on the walk to the end of the pier. This walk hasn't stopped being surreal.
Within the first hour of my first day, I got to go to a "meet and greet" for one of our plays, "The Beauty Queen of Leenane". The director welcomed us and walked us through the mini-stage display, the costume sketches, and some inspiration boards. It was the first day the actors came in to begin rehearsals, and all I could think was,"Wow, I actually get to be here!"
Most of the week has been spent reading through brochures, annual reports and files to get my head wrapped around the work and how the department breaks down. Everything is so artistic and organic that there aren't necessarily clear definitions and boundaries, and I'm thinking this is why I was chosen for the position. These thoughts are definitely helpful and make me feel like maybe I belong! (I do belong, I do belong, I do belong.) Everyone is pretty friendly and thus far the office seems to be surprisingly without pretension.
I've gotten to go behind the scenes and see where the stage production takes place, where the rehearsal rooms are and (my favorite) the costume room. The costume room was mostly under wraps but I walked past rows and rows of shoes, socks, buttons, body suits, hoop skirts, costume sketches and wigs. All manners of things the little girl inside me (and hell, let's face it, the 26 year old girl inside me) wanted to try on and gallivant about in. That room is a magical place indeed.
My lunches haven't been very adventurous yet. Instead I've opted to sit down on the wharf-side every day and eat (while reading another STC brochure or annual report). Though today I did walk up to Observatory hill. It's one of my favorite sitting places in the city, and although it's right next to the Harbour bridge, not many people make their way up there. It's more isolated than any of the other parks with a great view of the city.
Work-wise, they've been lenient on me this week, but I'm looking forward to an increased workload and the prospect of being busy again. It's also really nice to have a full-time paycheck and paid sick days and holidays again. Australia Day is on Tuesday and it will be my first paid holiday in Australia. Yay Australia Day! Yay STC!
Oh yeah, and did I mention the best perk so far? Free tickets to every show. Life just doesn't get much better than this.
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Loves from around the globe!!!