Blog Move

I've started a new blog to chronicle our adventures in South Carolina. Check it out here!

Pinch me

It's over, it's really over. My days in corporate America are over, at least for now. My last day of work was a week ago and I've been living in Philadelphia ever since. The pure unadulterated bliss that I felt when I exited the agency for the final time was immeasurable. It was like a huge weight lifted itself off my shoulders and fluttered away into the sky. The clouds were whiter, the sky was bluer, the world was brimming with joy and wonder. I practically skipped to the bus.

It's a week later and the joy has not subsided. I wake up everyday whenever my body feels like it, not when it's jolted awake by an alarm clock. And when I do finally ease into the waking world I'm not grumpy, panic stricken or full of dread. I'm calm and relaxed and ready to (slowly) face the day. I report to no one. I have no deadlines, no cubicle, no constant phone calls, no demanding clients, no whiny coworkers, no mailbox over size limit, no 9 AM meetings, no "brainstorming", "strategizing," or "tactical planning" meetings, no teleconferences, no buzz words, no passive aggressive emails, no small talk, no aggravating commute, no lines at the microwave, no obnoxious pages over the intercom, no dress code nothing. Just ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

And now that I'm out of my old apartment I'm free of my filthy roommate and all the crazy that came with her. I stayed with Chris in Chinatown for a few days and it was nice to be together so much after a year spent long distance. But Chinatown was not for me. Frankly, it smells awful. And he lives with 4 other people in a hot sauna of an apartment. Without cable. It's not an optimal environment for my retirement lifestyle. So now I'm staying at my friend Brian's house, known henceforth as Camp Brian. He's got a big house with a giant flat screen, no random roommates, a comfortable couch and a refrigerator full of miller lite. I couldn't ask for more. I know Chris having me there, but after living in suboptimal conditions for a year, I'm no longer willing to settle. This is my retirement and I'm doing it the right way. Until Brian kicks me out.

So what am I doing with my retirement? Well I have big plans once I get down south, as evidenced by my bucket list. But my stay in Philadelphia is strictly for leisure. No stress and very minimal movement. Some (Chris) would hate the thought of such an inactive lifestyle. But when I was living in New York, all I wanted was some peace and relaxation. And now that I have it, I'm incredibly grateful. I just hope I'm physically able to get off the couch when it's time to move down south.

One week

Only one week to go until it's my last day of work and the adventure begins. It feels like the week is going by at the speed of a flock of mall-walkers.

Eye on the prize!

This past weekend was my last weekend living in New York city. A couple of friends were up from Baltimore so I spent most of my time with them. Friday I got out of work at 1:00 and proceeded to drink until 3:00 in the morning. Saturday I woke up and was reminded why I gave up drinking all those times. Sack of bricks, meet my stomach. But because it was my last weekend here, I soldiered through it and went out again that night. We were all home and exhausted by 1:00, lamenting about how old we'd gotten. Appreciate the carefree drinking of your youth, kids. It's temporary.


Sunday I met my friend Cara's newborn baby Rogan. I love newborns; they're just so tiny and innocent (and don't talk back). By the time I left her place I was overflowing with the desire to to settle down and start a farm of babies. Luckily, a marathon of 16 and pregnant was on which quickly counteracted any maternal urges I was experiencing. 27 hours of labor?! How do you not give the kid dirty looks for the rest of it's life?

All in all, it was a great weekend. I saw old friends, I realized (again) why alcohol is the devil, I held new life in my arms, and I realized the importance of refilling my birth control. And 10 lbs later, my mind is clear and I'm back on the prohibition wagon. Now I'm counting down each second of each day until freedom. By no means do I think that everything will be perfect once we're there. I'll miss my friends, and the accessibility of everything in the city. But fresh air, clear blue skies and a house of our own sounds pretty damn appealing right now. And after last year there was no way I was enduring another northeast winter. No. friggin. way.

The plan is that I'll move out this weekend, stay in philly until the weekend of the 16th, trek down to Baltimore to stay with friends for a week then fly to Greenville on the 21st and hang out until Chris gets there on September 2nd. Of course, like everything else in my life, that is subject to change daily. I didn't want to stay in Philly with Chris for all of August because a) China town smells awful, b) he lives with 5 strangers and c) he doesn't have cable. So yes, my entire travel plans are basically built around wanting to sit on a couch and watch television for hours (without smelling hot fish). But I can't wait for us to finally be playing house together. I think our laid-back personalities (and seperate bathrooms) will make it a relatively painless transition. And conveniently, there is a shed out back for when he misbehaves.

Slow down, life is waiting

This NY Times article does an excellent job summing up how I've been feeling about life lately

Excerpt:
We need to reduce the speed limits of our lives. We need to savor the trip. Leave the cellphone at home every once in awhile. Try kissing more and tweeting less. And stop talking so much.

Listen.

Other people have something to say, too. And when they don’t, that glorious silence that you hear will have more to say to you than you ever imagined. That is when you will begin to hear your song. That’s when your best thoughts take hold, and you become really you.