11 Years!!!!

Today I was at the OB's office for my postpartum check-up and the nurse asked me who long I had been with my company.  I had to stop and think about it, and then I realized it's been 11 years.  As of March 3, I have been at the same place of employment for 11 years.

That's 1/3 of my life.  Wow!!!  I better not stop and compute the hours (days or years) I have spent commuting as I would probably cry (it's currently an hour each way). Worse yet, if I calculated how much I have spent on gas in those 11 years.  

I must say I am very impressed with 11 years of service at the same place.  I am the senior person in my department and one of the most senior employees (but only in the number of years worked there).  In this day and age I don't think many people in my generation can claim to have worked at the same place for so long.  I don't know if it's a good thing or if I am a fool.  I took the job because they offered me health insurance and 2 weeks of vacation; little did I know then.

Foolish or not, all the years there have afforded me with  several luxuries.  I now have 5 weeks of time off a year, I set my own hours despite what company policy is, I am allowed to work from home if feel the weather isn't good for driving in, and I can bring Turkey to work if I like.  Really I can get away with pretty much whatever, as long as my job gets done.  I am comfortable.  Over the years I have looked for other jobs (work is certainly a love hate relationship for me) and I have interviewed and been offered other positions, but in the end the comfort wins out.  I know my co-workers, I know my job better than any one  else... if after 11 years I didn't; I think something would be wrong.  

Yup comfort.  This is where I "grew-up", where I became an adult.  This is the place I was working when both of my children where born.  My address has changed several times over the last 11 years, but my work remaining a steady constant.  

And now I am looking at a new comfort... working from home.  Sure I worked from home at the end of my last pregnancy, but making it a permanent thing is different ball of wax.  I hope I am up for this new challenge.