The first countdown I refer to is the 20 days remaining until I turn 31. This seems significant to me because it will feel more like I’m “in my 30s.” Turning 30 was more of a “completion of my 20s” milestone and was the best birthday ever, so I didn’t really have to think too much about the whole new decade of age thing. And I just realized I ought to share the awesomeness of that birthday here. It’s nearly a year late, but that’s OK. That will be my next post. Promise.
Anyway, this year’s birthday festivities, if there are any, will never be able to compete with last year. But there’s something about that number — 31 — that makes me think I ought to be all growed up and have a life plan and a solid career.
Which brings me to the second countdown. I’m just a couple of months (in fact, exactly 2 months) from being unemployed again. I’m in a yearlong contract and, once it’s done, I can’t come back to work for The Big Ol’ Company as a contractor until I take a 100-day break. It’s an odd setup, but I’m actually looking forward to being done. I’m really hoping to get some freelance work lined up, get an actual little business of my own started up and perhaps do some soul-searching to figure out what it is I really want to do with my life. And I want to walk the Earth. Perhaps not literally walk it, since it’s big and I’ve got the ol’ lady knees. But I do want to spend some time just roaming or visiting people I don’t get to see often or taking Man Candy on a fun birthday trip or kickin’ it with my nephew.
I have no life plan. No career plan. No plans. I’m planless. Sometimes that bothers me. I often wish someone would have told me what I had to do with my life. But, the thing is, I can do almost anything I want. I can start a new career. And I’m fairly certain I will, at some point. I just have to pick one. And that is where that new dartboard I got for Christmas will come in handy. I can just write each career I’m interested in on a separate little piece of paper and put all the little pieces of paper on the dartboard and throw darts until I actually hit the dartboard somewhere (no, my new career will not be a professional dart player) and wherever the dart lands will be my new life!
Stay tuned …