I was laid off from HP after 30 years. At 59, I moved to Antarctica for work — and the wildest adventure of my life.

May Lee believes you can always reinvent yourself.

Courtesy of May Lee May Lee was downsized from HP, where she had worked for over 30 years.

After a valuable conversation, she decided to pivot entirely and take a seasonal job in Antarctica.

She can't wait to return to Antarctica for her second job.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with May Lee, a 59-year-old seasonal worker in Antarctica and former marketing and communications manager at HP.

It has been edited for length and clarity.

I joined Hewlett-Packard in 1987 as a software engineer intern.

As a graduate, I wanted to sign on for life with a good company that I knew I could be loyal to and would be as loyal as a company could be.

I didn't want to climb the corporate ladder or jump from company to company.

If I hadn't been downsized last February, I would never have left.

There were signs that the writing was on the wall, such as a hiring freeze and a temporary reduction in my work hours, but in the end, it came as a surprise.

I had hoped to work there for probably another five-something years.

I felt a combination of disappointment and sadness.

This was the company I've devoted my entire career to and had hoped to retire from.