The following post explains the final 5 major events/transitions that shaped 2017.

If you want to read about the first 5 events, click here!

6 - Experienced Depression

I could not have told you at the time, but in hindsight I was experiencing depression by this time. All of the drastic changes in my life and my families life was becoming heavy. I did not know how to express how I was feeling with others. And the more I tried to share, the more I realized that most other people could not understand why I felt the way I did.

We were experiencing grief and loss. We missed being overseas. We missed the life we had grown to love.

I had a hard time sleeping. I was not motivated. All I could think about was how bad things were getting, and I could not see a way to climb out of the hole that I felt I was trapped in.

I never thought of taking my life or harming myself, but I stopped seeing how I was able to contribute. I felt worthless. I felt sad.

7 - Joined Steemit

My Steemit birthday is June 2017. Although unemployment is not great for making money, it provided me an opportunity to explore different opportunities on the internet.

On day, I came across Steemit, and I knew that the platform had a lot of potential. I am dabbled a little with cryptocurrencies, and I have always been interested in internet-based streams of income.

During my first few days on Steemit, I made all of the newbie mistakes:

• asking instead of giving
• focusing on earning instead of focusing on the community.

But as time went by (and after making many mistakes), I started to find my way.

Steemit, both as a platform and a community, have been a great opportunity to help me process the challenges of 2017. It has also given me a platform to grow and develop myself and my vision for an internet-based business.

Potential earning attracted me to Steemit, but the community has kept me here. I found a place to share my voice, and I have found friends who have supported me.

8 - Found A Job

When you have no job, any job looks good! I had sent my resume to many places, and time after time the bad news poured in.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Mobile App Developing Company - I was excited about this opportunity. The interview went well (or at least I thought so), but this small company was waiting on some new contracts to be finalized before bringing on new employees. I guess the contracts never came.
• Auto Parts Supplier - I applied for a quality assurance position. This company was quick to give a response (which I appreciated), but the delivery of the response was lacking. "We pride ourselves with finding great people to work for us, but we regret to inform you that we will not be moving forward with your application." Ouch!
• Insurance Company - I even connected with a former employer. The interview seemed to go well. And so I waited, and waited, and waited. About 3 months later, I finally received notice that I was not being considered.

I keep sending out resumes, hoping for a job that would be a good fit for me and help meet the needs of our family.

There was an assistant IT position that was created at a local school. The interviews went well, and soon after I was starting a new job. Both relief and worry flooded my heart!

I was finally making some income, but it did not take long for reality to set it. My family was still going to struggle. We made less than we did while living overseas. The cost of living is higher in the States. And the cost of insurance was astronomical.

I would have to spend nearly 1/3 of my salary to insure my family through the school's insurance plan.

We could not afford that at the time. And so our family would have to go without insurance a little bit longer. Not only was this a burden because of fear of an unexpected illness or injury, but also because of not meeting the government's requirement for insurance.

We were still looking for the right solution to meet our needs. We kept praying against illness and injury.

9 - Found Another Job

I had been working for about 3 weeks when I received a call for a corporate recruiter from a company I had sent my resume to. Although my current salary and benefits were not enough to meet my family's needs, I was not actively looking for a new job at that time. I was just glad to be employed.

I had spent 11 years working for my last employer. I hated the idea of only spending a few weeks in one place. But as I continued conversations with the recruiter and learned more about the explications, salary, and benefits of the new position, I knew I had to make a change.

I dislike confrontation, so giving my 2 weeks notice was hard. Most of my current co-workers understood my need to provide for my family and wished me well.

And as I spent the last few days working as an IT assistant, I started to wonder about my new job and what it might hold.

10 - Fully Insured

My new job will be challenging. It will give me a chance to combine my customer service skills and computer background, which excites me.

I am also excited about my new co-workers and the relaxed work environment and culture of the new company.

I am also blessed by the health benefits. My family is finally fully insured. This was a huge relief, especially since we have 5 kiddos (who seem to get sick more during the winter months).

2017 to 2018

So as 2017 ended, it seems like things are ending on a high note, but my family and I still have questions.

• What does our future hold?
• Why did we feel like we needed to leave Indonesia, a place we dearly loved?
• What new opportunities await us?
• How can we invest in other peoples live?

We are excited for 2018, and we wish you the best in the new year.

2017 is a year that has redefined my life, but it is the future that I look forward to. I will learn from the past, but I will let the opportunity of a better future guide me.

@sumatranate

---

Image source:
https://pixabay.com/en/new-year-s-day-fireworks-1931728/