I got my first JCC paycheck

Never Done: I got my first JCC paycheck

When I accepted my new job, it's not that I thought the paycheck would be the primary reward -- I would never have taken the job if I didn't think it was going to be meaningful, fun, productive work -- but the paycheck was the impetus behind leaving freelance in the first place.

But then I worked three weeks. Week one: I was a dry sponge trying to soak up a puddle of water, but too overwhelmed to be absorbent. Week two: I gained context, deepened my conversations, built the foundations for what I think will be excellent collegial relationships. Started to dream about what I might be able to do there. Week three: I started to understand how to make the dreams come true, and started to understand that there will not necessarily be a firewall between Jenny the creative artist and Jenny the arts curator/professional. (Big week!)

And then I got a paycheck. If it had come after week one, I might have felt differently, like hell yeah I deserve this. But it came when I was acutely aware of liking and appreciating my job, and I felt like, all this and I get paid too?

To celebrate, I bought an entire roasted duck in Chinatown to share with at shabes Soup Swap. Frugality: Be careful with your money. Which sometimes means to earn some, and use it to make a better life (or dinner) for the people you care about.