2020 is not shaping up to be the year I had envisioned. In the original plans, Kevin and I were supposed to be married by now. Kevin would still be enjoying his freelance work freedom and I would be killing it at work doing awesome projects, learning, growing and working with an amazing team.

None of that is the case, because COVID. Instead, Kevin is burning the midnight oil at a full-time job, we had to postpone our wedding by a whole year (and maybe more if no vaccine rolls around in time), and I now find myself not even furloughed anymore, but laid off.

Around a month ago, my (now previous) company had a bloodbath of a day and laid-off 38 people in the New York office alone. I was one of them. And I have to say, I was really shaken up.

After uprooting our Chicago lives to move to NYC for me to go to grad school, we were only supposed to be here for around 3 years (2 for school, one working). Of course life doesn’t work out that way and it took me forever to find a job, so 5 years later here we are still.

After going through such a hard time finding a job, I landed my DREAM JOB (and I don’t exaggerate here) so being laid off of it is a pretty huge blow. I’m still grateful though. I got hired into an amazing company and was given the opportunity to jump start my career again with a massive name behind me as a boost.

The mourning process is still going, and the deep sense of loss I feel is unlike anything I’ve experienced before (career wise). But, during COVID times there’s nothing else to do but keep your head up, and take it one step at a time.