We were back at Half Moon Bay this past Friday. In the middle of a change of seasons and the Autumn Equinox with the full moon looming near, the water was a bit tumultuous. The waves came in from several different directions, and with varying intensities. It was as if the ocean was being a bit whimsical or quirky. To me it spelled "winds of change".
As we were grappling the waves, ushering our kids towards safety and stepping gingerly in the icy cold water when we could to have a bit of fun, we almost didn't notice the spectacular sun. It shone bright in a perfect circle. It created a gorgeous splash of colors in the sky. And as we watched, we could see the rapid descent of the sun over the horizon. We could see it literally go in from a full orb to half. That's when I started filming. It went from half-in-half-out to completely gone in a minute and forty seconds! A spectacular sunset indeed.
After the sun went down, it became dark fairly quickly. We packed the kids up and strapped them comfortably in their carseats. The night was quite dark by this time (I often think that winter nights are darker than summer nights). I took the wheel and began the treacherous drive up winding roads with oncoming traffic on one side and narrow precipices on the other, requiring my full concentration to cross the mountains before merging back onto our multi-lane 280 for the drive home.
All of this happened rather suddenly and unassumingly. But metaphorically it was significant for me. Because on Friday, I completed the last of my activities that I'd planned for my job. It feels like the close of the chapter at my current place of work (over a decade) and at the point that I start looking for my next career move. With much soul searching and a multitude of reasons, I've come to realize that it's time to turn the page, and it's probably best that I come to this conclusion myself rather than have it thrust upon me. So this was the sun going down on my career at my current job.
There would undoubtedly be some dark winding roads that came along with it. But it allows me to wake up to something new.
The next morning I woke up to a fresh dawn and did my last swim of the season before the Cabana club closed. 30 laps! A record for me. And with that, I take a deep breath, brace myself and take a step forward in my quest for that elusive dream job. I hope I don't fall down too hard, sincerely. And I hope that I am able to find my way again. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed that I can weather this storm and come out on the other side safe and intact, and ready to thrive.
