From Watching It to Living It: My First 9 to 5

Introduction

Hi, friends! This week, I officially started my first office job, and it still feels a little surreal saying that out loud. It’s exciting, a little overwhelming, and rewarding all at once in the kind of way that makes you stop for a second and realize you’re finally stepping into the life you used to imagine for yourself.

TorontoTails has always been my little corner of the internet to share life as it happens, and right now, that means navigating the transition from school into the “real world.” Learning as I go, meeting new people, and slowly building a routine that actually feels like my own. I definitely don’t have everything figured out, and I honestly don’t think anyone in their twenties really does. Still, something is grounding about showing up every day and realizing you’re capable of more than you thought.

From Watching It to Living It

Growing up, I was obsessed with all those early 2000s career-girl movies. Our DVD drawer was full of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Legally Blonde, The Devil Wears Prada, and stacks of Sex and the City DVDs that I was way too excited to watch when I got older. Back then, that version of adulthood felt exciting, but also kind of distant, like something that only existed in movies and not something that would actually become my life one day.

Now, being 22 and starting my first real job as a production assistant, it’s weird how much that feeling has changed. It’s obviously not as dramatic or perfectly put together as it looks in the movies, but those little moments really do exist. Walking into the office in the morning, sitting at my desk, doing coffee runs with coworkers, and introducing myself around meeting tables are the moments where it suddenly hits me that I’m not just watching that life anymore, I’m actually living it.

My First Week of Work

Starting a new job is definitely nerve-racking, especially when you grew up watching movie scenes where the girl is sprinting into her first office job, holding a coffee, and already running late. Somehow, for the first time in my life, I was actually on time. All those mornings running late to Disney finally taught me that in this industry, being on time basically means you’re late.

No Miranda Priestly was waiting for me in the office, but everyone was so welcoming right away, which made such a difference. I definitely still had first-day nerves, but I felt comfortable pretty quickly.

One of my favourite moments this week was walking into the writers’ room and sitting around a table surrounded by writers, hearing their conversations, seeing the work that goes into everything behind the scenes, and getting to share that I’ve always loved writing too. It felt like one of those quiet, full-circle moments that kind of hits you out of nowhere.

It’s been all the little things this week that have made everything feel so real. Getting dressed up every morning and actually having somewhere to go, people around the office already remembering me, coworkers laughing at my random bursts of energy, and grabbing coffee after work with friends whose offices are close to mine, so that we can debrief our days like actual adults.

I just got an Oura Ring for my birthday, which confirmed that for the first time in my life, I officially have sleep debt. Moose is definitely not adjusting well to my 6:00 alarms and acts personally offended every morning when I leave. Still, I’m very grateful for the girls in my building who started as random elevator conversations and somehow became some of my closest friends and the best babysitters.

This week felt like such a good introduction to this next chapter of my life. I’m excited, exhausted, still figuring everything out, and very ready to sleep for the entire weekend.

A New Kind of Motivation

Going into 2026, I wanted to focus on consistency and building a routine that made me excited to wake up again. I think the first few months of the year can feel hard for a lot of people, especially with the cold weather and everything starting to feel repetitive.

Running my first half-marathon in March honestly helped me so much. I’m the type of person who always needs something to work towards, or else I start feeling stuck. Training taught me discipline in a way I hadn’t really experienced before, and now it’s funny because I even convinced someone on my team to sign up too, even though they’re not a runner at all. I’m excited for us to train together in between long film days because it weirdly feels very full circle.

My grandma told me this weekend that she couldn’t picture me working from home, and after my first week of commuting and getting ready every morning, I get what she means. My old 11 a.m. alarm has officially turned into 6:30 a.m. with the Sex and the City intro playing, which feels slightly dramatic but also kind of perfect.

The exhaustion is real, but so is the excitement. I love the little things: the people I work with, random office conversations, getting dressed up for work, and feeling like I’m part of something every day. I was starting to feel stuck, constantly sitting at home doing schoolwork, so having somewhere to go every morning has changed my mindset a lot.

Even when I get home, there’s still more to do: walking Moose, running errands, sometimes finishing more work, but weirdly enough, I like it. My motivation feels connected to my routine, my environment, and the feeling that I’m actually building something for myself.

From Third Year to Real Life

Going from third year to full-time work feels like a fast shift. One minute you’re sitting in your room doing assignments, and the next you’re surrounded by people with years of real experience. Being in that kind of environment pushes you in different ways. You start to learn faster, ask better questions, and understand how things actually work outside of the classroom.

It’s also strange realizing you can’t just go to the mall in the middle of the day anymore or book appointments whenever you feel like it. I’m still figuring out how everything fits into my schedule. Even trying to figure out when I’ll have time to get my hair done suddenly feels complicated now, but that adjustment has also made everything feel more real.

What I’ve been working toward in school is finally starting to connect, and I can actually picture where I fit into it all. Learning by doing feels completely different, but in the best way. I feel more confident in myself, more motivated, and more excited about where all of this could lead.

Conclusion

Stepping into my first full-time job, I thought it would feel a lot scarier than it actually does. There are moments where I feel overwhelmed or unsure, but more than anything, it feels exciting, new, and a little surreal.

Those “movie moments” I grew up watching really do exist, just more quietly and realistically than I expected. It’s not perfectly put together all the time, but honestly, that’s what makes it feel like mine.

More than anything, I feel grateful for the opportunity, for the people I’m meeting, and for the chance to figure things out as I go. There’s still so much ahead of me, and I know I’m only at the beginning, but that’s the exciting part.