how far [I've] come

earlier this week, January 11th, to be exact, a monumental moment in my life occurred. no chris didn't have some ephiphiny and started acting like a boyfriend to me again. a moment I didn't expect to arrive so soon in my journey. a moment that opens a new chapter.

I got my white hard hat.

TADA!

why is this so significant you ask? well, let me explain.

when you become a new hire for the company I work at (freeport mcmoran) you get a red hard hat. the red hard hat sygnifies that you are a new employee. it's basically a red flag warning your coworkers to beware of your presence. because every one knows new employees are the dumbest and most careless. that's actually not true. I'm being sarcastic. but that is what it means. after a year of employment, you graduate to a white hard hard. yay!

this means a lot to me, not only because of the fact that I don't like red and I don't like wearing a big red hat to act as a caution sign, but because I have worked a full year. I have learned enough from college to start a career. no more minimum-wage-dealing-with-people jobs. no more internships that last for a few months. and no more part-time jobs where I don't have any opportunities. I have a career. I am an adult. I have accomplished something not too many people my age, where I come from, have been able to. I am very lucky. I am very blessed.

can I say "ew"? because ew.

I am no longer the "newbie." I am the youngest, salary paid employee at this site. and even though I have the plague of being an "engineer," I have gained my coworkers' trust. I may not be very helpful with information yet, but maybe in another year, I'll be the technical support they need. so this week, I retire my ugly, annoying, red hard hat.