Countdown: 16

Well, if I’m being completely fair, 16.5 since it’s just about lunchtime. Also, weekends and holidays don’t count, so 16.5 business days if we’re being sticklers for accuracy.

Today I told my team so it’s official: March 10th will be my last day as the ScrumMaster (ScrumMistress? ScrumMa’am? ScrumPerson?) for the process automation team at the reinsurance broker. I was unaccountably nervous to tell the team, but they’re excited for me and sad to see me go, both of which are really the best possible scenario. If I’m really lucky, the company will have an opening when I’m ready to look for a job again.

For the next year I’m taking a sabbatical to write, because this unexpected opportunity is too rare and awesome to pass up, and even if I need to go back to the corporate world at the end I can’t NOT take the time. It’s a terrifying adventure for a person who’s supported herself since college (many, many, many moons ago) to officially be unemployed, but here we are. I have a spouse who’s encouraging me (and providing medical), bonus kids who have been coming to me with ideas they think I should write, and a window of time where I’m not responsible for providing benefits or making my full salary. It’s my golden ticket, and I will be the Charlie of this factory, NOT Veruca Salt or Violet Beauregard. Although, for the record, I DO want a horse (I’m too tall for a pony).

Some of this time is also a break, because y’all the last five years or so have been…a lot. Even good change is hard emotional work. Divorce, cancer, dating, new bonus kids, moving, and wedding is a whole duffel bag of change that costs a ton of energy, some with ongoing side effects: my brainpan still has some chemo-related fog that hits me in my analytical job on regular (and frustrating) occasions, and my energy levels still aren’t back to pre-chemo. Although I did put my hair in a ponytail today and HOT DAMN it’s nice to have longer hair again.

I’m not saying any of my change is different, better, or worse than anyone else’s life events and stresses, because all change is hard and we all have shit going on in our lives. I’m saying I’m taking my shot at recovering some of that energy when the universe presents an opportunity, because that’s a rare gift that I wish we’d all have at some time in our lives.

I’m hoping time away relieves my corporate burnout and the fog, but mostly I’m planning on finishing as many of my “to-write” backlist as possible. Bonus points to me if I find an agent and sell them and/or self-publish through Starweather Press. I can’t wait to see what happens next.