Today was my first trial shift at a small gift shop.
A few months ago, I thought I'd probably end up back in an accounting office. I updated my résumé, sent out applications, waited, and repeated the process more times than I could remember.
Nothing really happened.
Eventually, I stopped asking myself what I wanted to do, and started asking a much simpler question.
What work is available today?
That's how I ended up here.
The shop was much busier than I expected. Shelves were filled with gifts, homewares and health products, and there always seemed to be someone looking for "just one more thing."
One thing I noticed almost immediately—men and women shop very differently.
Men buying health products usually made up their minds within minutes.
"This one."
"Thanks."
Done.
Women rarely finished that quickly.
They compared.
They asked questions.
They picked something up, put it back, walked away, then came back again five minutes later.
Sometimes they left with exactly what they first picked up.
Sometimes with something completely different.
I suppose shopping isn't always about buying.
Sometimes it's just another way of thinking.
By lunchtime, I realised gift wrapping was harder than it looked.
Fold the paper too tightly, and the corners wrinkle.
Too loosely, and everything shifts inside.
The ribbons have to sit neatly, but not look like they were measured with a ruler.
It's one of those little skills nobody notices—until it isn't done well.
Standing all day was another lesson.
My feet weren't used to it anymore.
By the end of the afternoon, I found myself looking at the clock more often than I'd like to admit.
As I was leaving, my manager smiled and said,
"See you tomorrow."
It was such an ordinary sentence.
I smiled back.
"See you."
Walking to the car, I realised something.
It had been a long time since someone expected to see me tomorrow.
Not because I had done anything important.
Just because I belonged on tomorrow's roster.
That felt... unexpectedly nice.
When I got home, I was exhausted.
Dinner was simple.
A hot shower sounded much more exciting than cooking.
Later that night, standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I reached for my LumiSpa almost without thinking.
The gentle vibration felt surprisingly comforting after spending the whole day on my feet.
I wasn't thinking about skincare.
I just wanted everything to slow down for two minutes.
As the brush moved across my face, another thought quietly returned.
Mum, what are you going to do after my HSC is over?
The sound of the LumiSpa filled the bathroom.
For tonight, that was enough.
The answer could wait a little longer.