One Year and Counting

It's hard to believe, but I've officially been working at Josie's for one year now! The day after I moved up to live with my sister, I went straight down the downtown area and put in applications where my sister suggested. As I was getting to the end of the day I was getting pretty discouraged. No one I spoke with seemed very happy or friendly, and none of them made me feel like (1) they wanted to hire me and (2) I'd want to work for them.
I was just about to give up and go home but decided to go one more block and see if I could find this Josie's that I'd heard a lot about. Lo and behold! There it was, in that one last block. I took a deep breath, and went inside.
I found a girl behind the counter and she greeted me with a big grin and completely full of joy. I immediately felt comfortable in that place. She gave me an application and chatted with me as I filled it out. She even mentioned I should check back in since they were looking to hire immediately!
I left that building with a skip in my step and I called my dad. I told him about my day and said, "I know where I want to work!" I knew right away that this was the place for me.
Then two days later, I got a call from the owner and set up a meeting for the next day. The interview went very well, and I felt very confident. One week later, I got the ground shaking call that I was actually hired. I was so excited!
My first day was so much fun! I only worked for a few hours, just to start off small. I didn't realize it until a few months later, but I actually met one of my close church friends on my first day at Josie's! She had come in with her grandparents. I just think that's really cool.
Over this past year I have had to learn so much and at times it was very overwhelming. I found out very quickly that not only were my coworkers and bosses patient, but they were very kind, forgiving, and encouraging. I've never had a more encouraging work environment, and I couldn't be more thankful for it.
 I made friends quickly with some of the regular customers. I've mentioned some already in Golden Nuggets of Wisdom, Another Look Behind, Joyfulness, and Customer Blessings. I'm very happy to say that Josie (see link) did move back here, and is now a good friend of mine. *wave* Hi Josie!
Meeting all these wonderful people has made such a difference in my life and I am incredibly thankful for them. I love my job completely, and hope to continue there for quite a while! So yay for one year, and here's to many more!