Goodbye, Nine to Five

This week, I had my last day of work. It was very bittersweet, as expected. What I didn't expect was for people to express how much they would miss me, which was really touching and made it a little difficult to keep it together all day. But I did - I didn't shed one single tear until I was alone in my car, driving home...and I totally bawled. 

It's been almost nine years that I've been at my job, and it was the only job I've had the entire time I've been in Los Angeles. It is inextricably linked to my LA experience, as are the people there. I will sincerely miss the people, the conversations, the support, and the feeling you get from being really good at your job (and appreciated and sometimes hated for it).

But, happily, I can say I will not miss the work! I will not miss customer service, the cheapo, elitist company owners who do all sorts of awful things just to avoid paying taxes or benefits for their employees, and I will not miss standing in front of my closet, trying to figure out an appropriate outfit for each day. 

There is both a sense of freedom and a sense of panic that comes from chucking convention out and doing what you want. These last two days, I've experienced both feelings, and often! But Mike and I keep encouraging each other and reminding ourselves that we are in the middle of a grand adventure. I think sometimes the important part is supporting yourself, and remembering to make choices that are right for YOU. Not everyone would leave an amazing, stable job where they were totally appreciated. But I did! And it feels good.

Inspiration, Downsizing, Quitting My Job! ...and Our Future

For the last couple years, I've been super inspired by the Tiny Home Movement (it's a real thing!) and the people that build and live in them. They are amazing little living spaces that are super efficient and compact. No space gets wasted and the only belongings that fit in them are the ones that are truly necessary. Not only that, they are reasonably priced ($15K-$100K), and cost almost nothing to heat and cool (and even that is free if you go solar). Imagine if you could own your home outright after just a few years - you've just cut out a huge portion of your cost of living! This, in turn, requires you to make less money, so then you can work less, travel more (or do whatever you want)...FREEDOM.

the Durango house, listed for sale on tinyhouselistings.com

Surfer Shack custom home from http://moleculetinyhomes.blogspot.com/

interior shot of the Mica model from www.tumbleweedhouses.com

As we clear out our belongings in preparation for staging our little loft (which is under 900 square feet, but tiny homes are usually 150-500 square feet!), I like to think about how few things you actually need to live. Sure, I need clothes for cold weather and my memory foam pillow, my down comforter and pots and pans and my Mac and such, but surprisingly, you need very minimal things to truly live. I don't really need 25 sweaters. I really wear about 5 of them all the time, and the other 20, once in awhile. Wouldn't it be nicer to have 5 high quality items that you truly love, instead of 25 items of mediocre quality? 

With that in mind, I've been combing through everything and paring down each category - clothes, utensils, camping gear, shoes, beauty products, etc. It's all part of my ultimate goal to have a tiny, mortgage free home, that's powered completely by the sun and collects water (mostly, at least) from the rain. Or, in case we decide we want to travel, at least we'll have less to store!

My last day at work is officially March 19th, 2014. In celebration, I gave away almost all my suits and business clothes. It is sort of monumental for me because I hope to never, ever enter the corporate world again...at least the way I'm in it now. No more saving up vacation days, getting dressed in suits, and missing important events because I don't have enough time off. Down with the system! Up with life!