"a week into my new job, I can breathe again. It’s a fantastic place with wonderful people and a future I believe in"

I've always enjoyed stories of perseverance and overcoming obstacles and it gives me great joy to be included in this one from my friend, and now co-worker Patrik Bangle:

This past year or so has been...interesting.

It started last June when I was told that I needed to leave the place I was living at in lynnwood, the only place I lived in since I moved from California. That’s when the stress really kicked in, but luckily Seneca helped me move (twice, and that’s a whole different story) and I landed in green lake. I’ve been here a year on the 7th and it’s the best place ever.

But then work in bothell at the shop started to take a dive, and it wasn’t any fun anymore. I had a notion that I’d be able to pursue photography full time, and I started heading in that direction. Like the frog in the slowly heating pot of water, I didn’t notice the anxiety steadily building. I left my job in April and began splitting my time between rideshare driving and photography.

I learned pretty quickly that neither was for me long term. I’m not competitive by nature, and the business side of photo work is far too tedious for my monkey mind. It took all the fun out of it. I would spend all day in bed from the depression and regret it was causing. I loved the short bursts of fun when I was actually shooting, but my life outside of that was miserable. I gained weight, it’s own source of further depression and quite a vicious cycle.

Then one day an opportunity presented itself, and with Tony’s help, I landed the job. I had a few weeks before I was going to start working, so I decided to take a mini vacation and reconnect with the mountains I love so much (sorry for all the mountain photo spam during that time), and to reconnect with friends I haven’t been able to make emotional energy and time for.

And now, a week into my new job, I can breathe again. It’s a fantastic place with wonderful people and a future I believe in. The weight of uncertainty finally lifted off of me, and I’m the happiest I’ve been in a very long time. I get to do what makes me happy again, without worrying about the future.

tldr; I was gone and sad for a while, and now I’m back, baby ???????