For those of you who do not know, David received a new IT job in September. It was a huge shock to me when he started talking about switching careers only a few months prior to receiving his new job because he has been so passionate about his career in law enforcement. He had recently been promoted to Sergeant and said that he loved the adrenaline that came with being a cop. That always made me cringe when he talked about the dangerous drug dealers, drunk people and car chases he dealt with on a regular basis, but he really enjoyed what he did and was very happy.
Myself and David at our last Hero’s Ball….well, not for me because I work for a newspaper and will need to be there to cover it next year, haha.
At the beginning of 2014, we started having regular discussions about the possibility of moving and other large life changes that would occur further down the road, and realized that a lot of those things would only be possible with a career change. When David first told me he was applying to IT/computer science jobs (he has a BS in Computer Science from UGA), I was honestly shocked. I NEVER thought he would even consider leaving law enforcement. Selfishly, I was very happy because being a cop’s wife was not easy. We were both prepared for this career switch process to take longer than a year, but we were pleasantly surprised when it only took a few months for David to land a job at a great company. Side note: David also received a job offer with the Secret Service, but turned it down because we did not want to relocate. Plus I could not handle the crazy hours and danger that comes with that type of job.
Even though I was ecstatic for his new job opportunity, I was very emotional about the switch. I was so surprised that I felt that way, but I did. I mean, for the entire time I’ve known David, he has been a cop. Being a cop was not just a job, it became part of his identity. I became so accustomed to him not worrying about speed limit signs, him being separated from regular citizens, having no problem carrying his guns wherever he went, and much more. I am so proud of everything that he accomplished as a cop, even though it may have seemed like I hated being a cop’s wife. I didn’t necessarily hate it, it was just very difficult. There were so many proud and awesome moments, but a lot of scary and frustrating ones as well. I knew that he loved being a cop SO MUCH and it made me sad that he was not going to do it anymore. He kept reassuring me that he was excited to start his new career and would not make the switch if he did not want to, so that made me feel better. David mentioned that if he could clone himself, he would do both careers because he really does love each one of them, but unfortunately that is not possible. I am so glad that he is happy where he is now in his career and that he has almost six years of amazing memories and experience in law enforcement! This new job will open a lot of doors for us and our future family.
So much has changed since David is now part of corporate America. We moved away from a very rural area and into a populated area of metro Atlanta, we sold a lot of our stuff that we needed for “country living”, David wears suits and button down shirts to work instead of all-black uniforms, and we are getting used to having human neighbors instead of woodland creatures as neighbors and sometimes house guests. David is also home every night, every weekend and will be home for every holiday. I never thought this day would come! I am so excited! We love this new chapter and are grateful for the opportunities that have been given to us. I cannot wait to see where this new journey takes us.
Has anyone else experienced a big career change or has a spouse/significant other who has?
Fabulously Farah 