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.