Workin' in the New Year

Today, I went to work. I've been working at the same place now for the past 2 years as an environmental research technician. Now, what that job means, I don't exactly know either. For the past two summers, it's meant converting a paper database into an electronic database, helping people hang diplomas on their walls, updating Wikipedia articles, creating a database of all of the firing ranges in the U.S., shredding documents, etc. Basically, anything short of data analysis. Well, for the past few days, I've gotten to do some data analysis! At first it was kind of difficult because I was using software I haven't heard of, but once I got help from a coworker, it was really exciting! Don't get me wrong; I like helping to expand the electronic database. But helping a researcher analyze data from hundreds of audiograms was really, indescribably neat for me. It felt like I was doing something important and worth-while.
I've been reading this book recently called Be Happy At Work: 100 Women Who Love Their Jobs, and Why. In the introduction, the book's author, Joanne Gordon, explains that there are three main paths to happiness at work: love of the process of the job, love of outcome of the work, and love of fellow coworkers. Loving the process of a job means loving the everyday aspects of it, like a wedding planner who loves to help pick the exact right color for table cloths, or an engineer who loves to crunch numbers or who loves the design process for a new bridge. Loving the outcome of the job is basically enjoying what the work accomplishes, like a volunteer who enjoys the fact that his or her nonprofit is working to eradicate AIDS, or like a computer engineer who is proud to build top of the line surveillance systems for our military. Loving coworkers is just getting along with and having a good time with the people you work with (that was pretty self explainatory. Sorry). I'm only a bit into the book, but reading about women who love their jobs has inspired me to go out and find a job that I love, or love a job that I find. After all, sometimes I've found that a job can be much more enjoyable if a positive and enthusiastic attitude is maintained. I'm definitely excited to jumpstart my career.
This past week, I've been thinking about 2009. Really, I have no regrets. Sure, there were points that I could have improved on, such as my registration day fiasco. But I've had such a great year, and I've learned so much. AP Physics, Academic team, German class, AP English, Playdoh in calculus, Watching The West Wing in Government, Reading to kindergarteners, Beloved, the Profile committee, Graduation, Grad parties, the Intern lunch table, Summer Vacation, Hair, Moving in, WIE camp, Meeting floormates for the first time, iLaunch, Quad Day, Illinites, Career Fairs, iFoundry, the iCommunity, SWE and service, ENG 198, Meeting amazingly innovative people, Football games, Saturday Night Sips, Ghost hunting, Apple picking, Corn mazing, Care Packages, Habitat for Humanity, Drawing on the back of calc exams, Going to SOM, Turkey trot, Demented Gingerbread houses, Open House, Watching Hercules and Ghostbusters and falling asleep to Muppet Treasuer Island, Races to Late Night, OK Go, Karen's grad party, Aunt Helen's awesome house, Baking cookies, Getting sick and some sweaters, Being around and hanging out with friends I love and I care about and who can always make me laugh. Truly one of the best years.

All the best in 2010!