Today is my two-week anniversary out of corporate America. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Is it okay to be this happy?
I don’t feel like I’m on vacation, exactly. There’s already a structure to the week – it’s not like I’m reading novels in bed every day. But there’s more room to my life, which has a nice ripple effect. For example:
- Martin (my partner) walked through the front door after work the other day right after I had tackled my 7-year-old son and was subjecting him to a “smooch attack.” Martin walked into a roomful of giggles and happiness. Two weeks ago, maybe I would have had the time or energy for that kind of goofiness, but it usually didn’t happen on a Thursday night, before dinner was ready, after a long day at work.
- Last night I made two recipes out of the cookbook I’ve started working my way through (Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home: Fast and Easy Recipes for Any Day): Orecchietti with Peas and Onions, and Broiled Eggplant. I’d never cooked eggplant before and discovered that my son loves it (daughter and Martin hate it). Maybe I would have cooked eggplant while working in corporate America, but it hadn’t happened yet.
- I cleaned the upstairs bathroom. This is the bathroom that nobody sees but us and it was GROSS. Now you could eat off the floor. The counters are clean and empty. The cupboard is organized and empty. Every time I walk into that bathroom I feel expansive. Maybe I should write this blog in there. Before, I would have just waited for our housecleaner to wipe it down and I would have just moved the clutter around. No more housecleaner now (that was one of the excesses of our dual-income life), and I’ve got to say I loved cleaning that bathroom. Weird.
One of the best things about my new life? I have stories to tell. I never used to have stories to tell – who wants to hear about marketing at Amazon? I now have interesting stories about conversations with clients (all identifiable characteristics removed and confidentiality preserved), about volunteering at the school, about running errands with my daughter.
As a former journalist, particularly, I love having stories again.