Free at Last....

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Wow... No alarm clock, no blackberry, no ccalls, no meetings, nothing but a move from WI to storage and Naperville. Since tomorrow is moving day and day one of my new life sans corporate life, it seemed appropriate to make my first entry ( and only one from WI!)

Many people seem to be curious as to what exactly I am doing and why I am doing it so I thought I would answer a few of the basic questions:

1)Why the heck am I quitting a good job that pays good money after 9 years?

*** The super short answer is I am really tired and I can...
*** The longer answer is I am rapidly approaching 40, had planned on being out of corp usa and running my own company by
35 (yes, I am behind schedule) and my life has been super extreme the last 4-5 years resulting in my exhaustion and less then stellar health.

A quick look at my life by the numbers over the last 5 years puts it in much better perspective:

520,000 Miles flown
600+ Nights in hotels
49 States visited
3900+ Meals out
780+ Books read
1000+ Conference calls
27 Ballparks visited* ( *Some of these were prior to 2002)

Headaches: too many to count.
Quality time with friends and family: limited at best.

2)Where am I going and what am I going to do? ( I will post my full schedule in a separate entry)

***NEW places to see and explore: Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, Greece, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Latvia, Russia, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, New Zealand, Australia and where ever else comes up along the way.

*** Familiar places to catch up with those I miss and don’t get to spend enough time with: Chicago, NYC, Puerto Vallarta, CO, San Francisco, Tampa, Ft Meyers, Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, Southern California, Las Vegas.

3)How the heck can I afford to do this? Am I independently wealthy?

Hardly. I am single, have almost no mthly fixed expenses and no strings or committments to keep me in one place. I have some miles saved up( about 320,000) some hotel points and some hertz points. The timing is good. AND this is a big one...I will be traveling inexpensively. No heavenly beds( well maybe one or two for good behavior or when I am with others with SPG points ie Mexico) but for the most part I will be staying with friends or staying in hostels or cheap inns and experiencing the cities and countries from the ground rather than the 20th floor suite at the Westin. As local and untouristy as possible...unfortunately along with that go some of the basic necessities in my life which most would probably deem luxuries not necessities. Maybe a bit of an adjustment( ok that is an understatement) but definitely a good one.

a small sampling of the before and after employment impact on my travel style...

BEFORE......................................................AFTER
300 thread ct sheets.................................a bed( most should have linens) or sofa
3 course meals on expense acct................Local cuisine, communal dinners, food carts, market food
Heavenly bath............................................Shared bath
First Class AA.............................................Cheap regional airlines, trains, buses
Admirals Club.............................................Bus Stand
Rental cars/Taxis........................................Buses, shuttles, trains
World Class spas.......................................Hot water, cheap local massages, communal baths, hot springs
22inch rolling bag for NYC weekend...........Medium backpack for 2 mths of travel

I wanted to simplify my life, get rid of all the stuff so I can focus on what really matters and this should be a jumpstart to that. Only 5 days until Guatemala!

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Comments

[Jennifer Lamb]

Good for you
I am so excited that you are free to do what you want when you want and with whom..... I know you will have a wonderful, educational, laughter filled adventure and I wish you all the best in the world. Can't wait to visit you in some of your travels. Safe and happy travels to you. I will miss you in my daily life.