Notice of termination: The end or the beginning?

I was told to blog about this whole thing, so here goes.

A couple weeks ago I was let go from the marketing agency I worked at for over 13 months--the first full-time job I landed after college. I was not the only one to lose my job that day, as others at our company also fell victim to the economic downturn. While it was terrible to be sat down and told "we can no longer afford to keep you," a strange sense of relief came over me.

It was a scenario that I had run through my head a lot over the last few months, but to see it play out was surreal.

Now that it happened, so much is running through my head. The question of "What do I do now?" is staring me straight in the face. Was I angry? No. Disappointed? Yes. Surprised? No. Anxious? Yes. But it could be worse. I learned more than I could ever have expected in 13 months, which cannot be taken back. And about being anxious--I have this nervous/excited feeling that I can almost do whatever I want now. Stay agency side? Probably not. Stay in PR? Maybe. Go back to school? Perhaps.

This is just the beginning. All the exciting possibilities are ahead of me. I can't wait to see what happens.