#17. Confessions of a Job Seeker – Nov. 2012
This series is based on a design journal that I kept between 09/12 – 02/13. New? Start here.

As the holidays approached, it quickly became clear that I would not find work until the New Year. Unfortunately, I’d reached the point where I was channeling all of my efforts just into finding ways to scrape by. Thanksgiving came and I didn’t go home. Anxiety was starting to take a toll on me. Something had to give. I finally made the decision to sublet my room and I packed up my stuff and left my home. As someone who is highly self-reliant, this was an incredibly difficult decision to make. I didn’t want to be a burden on my friends and family, but I had no choice but to ask for help.

Luckily, I have some wonderful friends who welcomed me into their homes. I distinctly remember a conversation that I had with one of them. She called me out and told me that’s what friends do for each other. She said that she expected me to ask her for help if I needed it and if things ever fell apart in her life, she would be coming to me. This was an extremely humbling moment. It taught me that being open to receiving is just as important as giving. It reminded me that relationships are built on trust and reciprocity. I can’t begin to express the gratitude I have for the people who showed up for me during this time. I absolutely could not have managed without them.