It has been a month since I left the cubic farm. Career break, career change, or whatever you call it.
‘Only a month?’ sometimes I think, and sometimes I shout ‘A month, already?’
It’s all about relativity. Either way, yes, it has been a month. It felt so short because all the great things happened to me on this trip so far. At the same time, it felt longer because of all the problems I had, and I’m having, with reality that people want me to live.
It has been a great month. I left to the US a week after I got out of the work. One week before I leave, it was not a great time but recent three weeks, it was really important and happy transition times for me. Thinking as a teasers of my upcoming life.
I don’t want to be sound negative. Good or bad, it was my choice to jump into the cubicle, and I lose some, and win some, just like any other choices in life. Here are things that I don’t really want back into my life, so alternated, and enjoying at the moment.
Do you agree with me?
Hot breeze rather than Over-conditioned air
I don’t do well with air-conditioning system. Well I like my atmosphere around me be conditioned but seems like a lot of places including work place are focusing on over cooling. Id rather having hot air than freezing cold indoor air.
One afternoon while I was working on my blog in a local bookstore, they said their air conditioning system was broken. It was really a humid day; secretly I wished they fixed it quickly. But during the few hours, sitting by the door where hot humid air was blowing in, sweating through my shirts, I felt weirdly good. It was certainly unpleasant in some way but
I felt healthy and happy.
Cheap T-shirts rather than Expensive and Non-breathable fabrics
Suit, tie and high-heel shoes are neat. Sometimes it’s necessary and it feels good to be all dressed up. However it’s not a good idea for someone who is sitting in front of the desk for 12hours a day in the office with no open windows. It’s just not natural. Please, they you don’t need to have meetings every single day, let them be comfortable. Well, it’s not my problem anymore though.
Now I’m back to myself, wearing jeans and sneakers. Don’t get me wrong. Saying that I’m happy to not wearing suit every day, it doesn’t mean that I’m wearing something extreme. My feet appreciated the liberty and my skin is better without synthetic fabrics wrapped around the body.
Home cooked meal rather than 15 minutes lunch in cafeteria
Lunch break was one hour. Few choices – eat cheap and low quality cafeteria food for 15 minutes, or go out to local restaurants for expensive and have appropriate meal for an hour. Whichever it is, it’s hard to enjoy the lunchtime. Almost everyday I choose a cafeteria option. Because I could eat fast and do whatever I’d like to do in the spare time. But really, didn’t like the fact that I couldn’t enjoy the food.
I enjoy food. Cooking is another activities I like. Now, I have home cooked meals every day, and sometimes make something funky out of ingredients I have. The process of cooking, I enjoy very much. Food doesn’t have to be superliciously delicious. What I enjoy, that’s the important thing.
More colours rather than black and white dress code
My formal work place had really a strict dress code. Though that doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone is strictly following the rule. Mostly the rules is based on workers should wear black and white in suit, and bright colour is not acceptable. I quite didn’t understand the code, why people shouldn’t wear something pretty, but okay as you wish.
One time, I got called because I was wearing a red trench coat to work. The message was clear, don’t wear something noticeable. No, I’m not joking.
I like to wear bright colour clothes. Big earrings and bracelets. It’s one way to remember my travels. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Now I wear my magenta t-shirts with Angkor Wat on it. That’s my dress code now.
Living rather than Dreaming
I remember sometime early this year I thought, ‘I’m tired of dreaming.’ It could be interpreted in two ways. A) Stop picturing something cannot happen, just focus on your current life. B) Stop dreaming, just do. Which way you would choose?
Obviously, I choose the answer B). I consider myself as a do-er. I didn’t want to quit dreaming. But I didn’t want to sit around and satisfied my not-so-pleasant current life and try not to think about better life. I knew I wanted more. Instead of thinking about Austria Ski Holiday and sipping imported beer from Austria at Austrian restaurant, I could just be on the plane to Austria. So I did, (not to Austria) I took the steps towards to my dream. It was hard. Lots of friends supported my decision, but it was a hard process, to go against the grain.
This is my life. Not jealous about somebody else’s, daydreaming about perfect places to be, now I’m living my life. I’m making my life as my dream.
That is the best part.
Juno, I’m glad you are enjoying life after the cubic farm! I just traded freelancing for a full time job, so I am in the reverse course 😉 Happy travels and I look forward to meeting you in person!
I’m reading this at one of those overly air-conditioned cafe’s and you know, as always, you’re post was a breath of fresh air. For a moment, I was right with you, shoe-less and short-sleeved just jamming to the beat of our own thoughts. Your doing makes my dreaming feel like progress. A refusal to stay too long in the box. Now, we just need to get your Nike jacket back from those Seoul bums!
Loved the article! Writing this from an over-conditioned, black-and-whtie cubicle actually, so this post makes me antsy–can’t wait to hit the road again! I need to get rid of some debt first so I can truly find my freedom, but once I grasp it, I won’t be turning back! Proud of you girl and KEEP GOING no matter what “they” tell ya! Keep living the dream, keep being happy. Great post!
“So live that your memories will be part of your happiness”
Btw, I wrote a similar entry on my blog yesterday: http://su.pr/1oR1n8
Be free, fly away! =)
The career break clearly agrees with you Juno! Congrats and continued good times.
I cannot believe you weren’t allowed to wear colors! That’s just….you might as well be in prison. Remind me never to take a job in a place like that. Employers should never have that much control over your life.
You should see the office in work hours. And how they commented about my clothes. Cause when I wore black out of pressure, I wore something with flash ruffles on it (also not so appropriate for them). I guess I am not really a right person for the place! 🙂
Well, good you realized it now, then. Yay to freedom!
Yay to life! 🙂
Glad you got out of there!! and are enjoying living your life! The cubicle will never get me! Haaa!
I couldn’t agree more about the air conditioning. Why does it need to be freezing? Just leave it at cool =).
I totally agree with Living rather than dreaming. I would read so many travel blogs from my cubicle just wondering when it would be my turn. And now finally it is here. Also I can get excited again about taking a plane to a foreign destination, instead of dreading it when I was traveling for business. They actually managed to make traveling something to dread.
I don’t miss those things either! And I can add about 100 more things to the list 🙂
True that!! 🙂
one month already? A quick month, if you ask me. But it’s nice to hear that you are having a good time.
Yes, right? Time flys, truly. Excited to think what’s ahead of me. It’s a great feeling.
The clothes and small lunch time are things I definitely don’t miss! Sometimes I miss seeing co-workers who have become friends, but now I have a world of friends anywhere I go! Wouldn’t go back!!
Um, that sandwich looks amazing. Haha — the first month flies by, right? Although my first two days might’ve been the longest of my life!
I never really lived in the cubic room. But you dramatise your feelings of release really beautifully — and it’s great to see someone break it down in detail.
Living Rather than Dreaming – Well that is definitely one thing that I do not miss from corporate life. And I glad to have gone ahead and do what exactly what I wanted to. And I’ll not be going back to that desk and chair routine.
To following your dreams and freedom!
Cheers
Venky