Hi, this is Talley. I'm the host of First Day Back. Just a quick note before we start,

you're listening to Season 1, which debuted in 2015 and chronicled me as I came back from an

extended maternity leave. If you're looking for the story of Lucy and Jerry, please check out

the episode called Lovebirds, which kicks off Season 2. Thanks.

Hi, I'm Talley, and this is First Day Back, my podcast about getting back to work after the longest

maternity leave ever. I'm a documentary filmmaker in Montreal and the mom of two boys, Jack.

I am a robot. And Adam.

I'm a robot too. After Jack was born, I went on maternity leave

and I just didn't go back to work. Then I had Adam and I still didn't go back. I couldn't

go back. I couldn't figure out how to balance being a new mom and leaving the kids all day to get back into my career.

My head was not there.

Making my kids food and reading them books and schlepping them to the park just felt like what I was supposed to be doing.

And so without any real plan, I put my career to the side.

Adam has been home with me until recently, so I spend a lot of time with my kids.

I do crafts with them, we make cookies, I make supper every night, and I volunteer at school.

All that stuff I feel like they need.

I've done a few small work contracts, but I haven't really been committed to getting back in.

Mostly, I haven't wanted to do anything that would impact my kids' lives.

One thing that I should mention right off the bat is that my husband has a solid job.

We're not rich, and we've made sacrifices to our lifestyle to make this work,

but we're not struggling. But now it's been six years and I've started to feel like

I need to get back in there, like my career is feeling too far away and I'm losing

...