Weeks 28-34

I’m still unemployed and still sour about it. Unfortunately I’m not alone, as the whole tariff thing did a number on a lot of people’s careers. My 5 year stint into the non-medical device world is over, and I don’t think I’ll ever be going back.

I’m still doing fine money-wise (I don’t know what time or day it is anymore though), but each week that passes extends how much I’ll need to catch up on my retirement when I do get back into the workforce. All of this came at the worst time- 2 planned trips, my parents arriving in August for an extended visit, plus my yearly volunteer time at a local convention.

Finding a job is it’s own job, so I haven’t really felt like I’ve had extra time to dedicate to art or general mental wellness. As much as I’ve just tried to enjoy my “time off”, that little voice in the back of my head is going: yeah, but what if you don’t find a job before your savings runs out?

I have recently tried to reconnect a bit with my Appalachia roots, something that I tend to think about more when times are uncertain. With my parents in town, I had the opportunity to grill them about any witchy tips and tricks to make me feel like I have some sort of control in my life. Alas, the only thing I got was a story about how my Grandmother on my dad’s side tried to cure my childhood asthma by burying a stick under a full moon, and a reminder that I should be eating black-eyed peas during New Years for money. Neither worked. Being forced to eat black-eyed peas once a year growing up has turned me off the bean altogether.

My mom thinks I should get a job closer to home. If there isn’t anything in Virginia I should apparently try Tennessee and North Carolina. Those Blue Ridge Mountains are the only thing in that region that’s blue. I’ll stick to my adopted state and all its snow.