The first day at my current job was a branch planning day where I was in a room full of strangers with no laptop or desk to hide behind.

I was being called newbie which felt strange after being in my last role for six years. There were two other new starters, young graduates who spoke of changing the world. The older ones said less loftier things like how they only bought clothes from op shops which made sense as I’d joined an organisation responsible for protecting the environment.

I wondered if I’d made the right choice by leaving the familiar behind. At one point, the director poured the executive director a glass of water which set me at ease. I sat next to an older lady with a big smile who I liked immediately. We stayed in touch but I didn’t see her for months afterwards because of a leg injury.

It hasn’t been an easy ride here. The director left abruptly several months ago and the executive director recently told me, the smiling lady and several others our roles were no longer needed. I was angry at the start but this might just be the push I need to do something more fulfilling.