I’M FREE!

If you had been walking down Yonge & Eglinton on July 31, 2008, you would’ve heard me shout that repeatedly on my way home after my last day as a corporate pleb. On the outside I was thrilled, but on the inside I felt mixed emotions. Even though I would have rather gnawed my own arm off and beat myself with it than stay at that job one day longer, I will miss the people that I have made such close connections with. I will miss the morning coffee walks, I will miss my softball team (although I really wasn’t good enough for them to miss me), I will miss the after work socials and I will miss being able to walk to work.

Maybe I needed this in order to realize that the business world is not for me. Maybe I will need this trip in order to realize that maybe it really is. I have no idea what the next few years in my life have in store and that makes me excited! There are no more plans, no more set expectations, no more guidelines on how to live your life! Does being this independent mean I am truly a grown up now? Or does that mean that I’ve actually never grown up and am still living in the mindset of an 18 year old? Either way, it doesn’t matter. The beige walls of the 3 paneled cubicle are no longer closing in around me, and I am no longer finding myself being put to sleep by the eerie buzz of my computer screen.

There is one thing, however, that I am finding the most difficult to part with. LACK OF FUNDS! That magical paycheck that appeared in my bank account every 2 weeks is no longer in existence. I find that I now have to consciously think about that extra non-fat vanilla latte, that movie that I don’t necessarily have to see and those jeans that I already have enough of.

I have officially closed one chapter in my life to start another. However, before I can do that, the reality of moving back into my childhood home still needs to settle. Being in Dundas this past weekend, and waking up on my single bed in my tiny room felt like a nightmare. There are perks however – breakfast in the mornings via mother, access to a vehicle at all times and not having to rely on the Toronto Transit System, knowing almost every single person in town and CABLE! (A luxury when you’re living in downtown Toronto).

August 10th, 2008 – my official move date back to Dundas, Ontario. I have yet to start packing. It’s amazing the amount of things you can fit in a 600 sq. foot apartment. It’s amazing the amount of things you didn’t even know you had in a 600 sq. foot apartment! Everyday a new drawer of some sort is opened to reveal something new. It’s like your birthday everyday! Except most of these things are completely useless, however, you still feel a need to hang on to them regardless of the fact that you forgot they even existed over this past year.

So freedom is just around the corner. I just have to dig my out of my apartment to get there first.

What: Leaving for ~1+ years to live/work abroad

When: January 2009

Where: London, United Kingdom

Who: Myself (and Luke [my bf] and Lauren [his sister])

Why: Because we want to.

How: By Plane (duh!)

My Mates,

As I sit here in my unexciting, beige, 3 walled hole (also read: cubicle), I cannot help by count down the days until freedom – July 31st, 2008.

After graduation, I did the most logical thing – I found a job in my respective field and began life as a grown-up. However, right before I began my alternative life I traveled to Southern Europe (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece) for a month with Kylie [my best friend since childhood]. I also fell in love. With Europe. So, you can imagine how depressing it was to come back only to find myself sitting in aforementioned hole staring mindlessly at a buzzing rectangle all day. I was love sick.

After about a year, I decided to finally pull the chute and reconnect with my long lost love. However, I wanted an authentic adventure. I didn’t want to just experience. I wanted to live.

I made my decision – I was going somewhere I have not yet visited to live/work, and also – to travel around the rest of Europe on my time off. London, UK seemed the most logical place to be based out of for a number of reasons:

1. I already understood the language (perhaps not the slang..but that will come in time)
2. Jobs are plentiful
3. Plane tickets are cheap
4. There is lots to do/see

At that time, Luke and I decided we were going to embark on this adventure together. Yay! Cheaper rent! (and obviously I enjoy his company). Next, his sister Lauren decided she is also going to embark on this adventure with us. Yay! Even cheaper rent! (and I obviously enjoy her company as well…at least I think I will…I haven’t exactly met her yet…but I’m sure she is wonderful).

The Beginning of my End:

• July 31st, 2008 – My life ends as a pleb in the Canadian working field.
• August 1st, 2008 – My first day of freedom. Unfortunately, offset by the fact that I must now live at my parents house for the next 5 months while I arrange all of the intricacies of living/working abroad.
• Beginning September, 2008 – 2 weeks in Russia with mother. Posts to come.
• Mid September, 2008 – My first day back as a care-free customer service rep in my hometown movie store. (I hear you judging, but hey, I need something to pass the time, and a few extra $ never hurt anyone).
• January 2009 – My life begins again.

In the meantime – check out all the cool things over to the right (points right) and below (points down). They are cool.

P.S. This video is awesome. This guy got famous by doing a ridiculous dance in many parts of the world with the country locals. I am jealous. But, fear not! I will come up with something equally as ridiculous and equally as entertaining to do consistently on my travels.