Trading Spycraft for Motherhood: The Surprising Liberation of Leaving My Dream Career
A year ago this month, I decided to resign from my dream job and become a stay-at-home mom. Although I admit to sometimes fantasizing about spending just one day back in my former working self’s shoes, I’ve gained and learned so much as a SAHM, especially when it comes to self-discovery. In fact, I would even call my transition to homemaking a —gasp—liberating experience.
I am lucky enough to have had what is probably one of the most “girl boss” jobs out there—I spent nearly 5 years as an intelligence officer, or a spy, for an intelligence agency in the Washington, DC area. Despite its share of government bureaucracy, I thoroughly enjoyed my tenure in spycraft and the excitement and the sense of purpose (as we called it, “mission focus”) that such a career entailed. I also had two children during my career, and I returned to work part-time just four weeks after the birth of both my children, in part due to national security circumstances at the time, and in part owing to my dedication to and love for my job.