Member-only story
Happy Medium Birthday to Me
It’s extraordinary what a difference a year can make.
It’s my Medium birthday!
One year ago today I joined the Medium Partner Program, wrote up a silly listicle, hit publish, and then crawled under my desk to hide.
OK, maybe I’m exaggerating about that last part, but I was terrified. After 13 years of writing grant proposals — all submitted under an organization’s name — I was putting my own thoughts, feelings, and experiences out there, with my name attached, for all to read. It was the most vulnerable I’ve ever felt.
Little did I know that silly post would send my career on a new trajectory.
I’d been really, truly, incredibly unhappy in my job for months. I knew I wanted to do something different — I’d dreamed of becoming a Writer for decades — but I didn’t know how to make the change. When you’ve been following one path for so long, the idea of taking a turn is daunting. I’m no longer 25. I have a family to consider. I can’t just upend my career and start over.
