Business Trip

I just got back from a whirlwind business trip to Toronto. I'm tired. Yes, I'm a bit cranky. Yes, I also have to teach a three hour communications class at the college tonight, and then head over to the kids' cub meeting to be a badge tester.

I had been going to wimp out and blog something just for the sake of it. Just for NaBloPoMo.

But I do have something to say, come to think of it.

You see, it's a four hour drive to Toronto, and I get a lot of thinking done in the car. The first two hours I was lost in plot outlines and big concepts. That was fun. But as the miles ticked away I realised that I felt free and untethered. I felt relieved to be out of the office - even if it was just driving down the 401.

Is this, I thought, what it's like to be out of the corporate world?

You see, with my new freelancing job and my college position, I have been debating giving up my corporate day job. BIG decision - after all, the job comes with many perks, not the least of which is a steady paycheck and a great pension plan.

But the truth is that, for a variety of reasons, I haven't really been engaged with the job for some time. And I'm the type of person who likes to be engaged, and wants to make a valued contribution.

I get that with editing. I get it with teaching. So I have been torn, battling this out for the past few months while I attempt to do all of it.

And I think I'm up against crunch time.

The decision is made. Has long been made, really. But this past two days of driving has just clarified it for me.

And that feels good.