9 Months

I have officially been working for over a month now... I can't believe it. My weeks are much busier now, hence the hiatus in blog writing (trying to remedy that now and get back on track!). In a short month's time, I've begun to settle into a routine and, amazingly, I find myself already returning to the TGIF mentality and looking forward to time off on the weekend. So soon we forget!

It's all too easy to say "the grass is greener on the other side," so I wanted to take a moment to reflect on my 9 months. First of all, the grass is indeed greener on the employed side. I'm thrilled to be working and by no means do I yearn for that stressful period of uncertainty. Looking back, however, there are things I would have done differently. 

Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and we had no way of knowing how long the road would be for me. Had I known, sure, I could've planned ahead and accomplished more, but I still have to be proud of my resiliency in the given situation. If I were to do it all over again though (and let's hope that never happens unless I want it to!)...


9 Things I'd do differently if I had 9 months off again:

1) Do it some place warm!

Ha! I've said many times that if I had all this time off near a beach, I wouldn't have minded so much :) A good friend of mine took a similar leap of faith and moved to Hawaii with her husband... that was a good call on the location. However, I know tropical paradise isn't always an option, so I would just travel to warm places more often!

2) Learn the basics that I need to feel like myself & be happy -- and DO them!

This sounds pretty straightforward, right? Well, it was a learning experience for me. It's so easy to get caught up in day-to-day life that you don't take a step back and ask yourself what you truly need to be happy. For instance, I learned something I already knew about myself -- that running greatly improves my mood/day -- but I realized even more how important it is in my overall happiness and how down I was when I fell out of my routine. So, I would be sure to take advantage of my time and work out like crazy!

3) Maintain PERSPECTIVE

As I alluded to in #2, I fell out of my running routine because, to be honest, I had many days where I felt sorry for myself and lost motivation. Then something would happen, or nothing would happen, and I'd snap back to reality and acknowledge everything I have to be thankful for. I have my health, I have healthy, loving family & friends, I have a roof over my head (and not just a roof - a 2 bedroom apartment in a nice part of town), I have this unique opportunity to live in another country and travel frequently, and I have my husband supporting me every step of the way. I would remind myself of this every single day!

Perspective => I LIVE here!

4) Treat myself more!

I pride myself on being a successful career woman, so the whole "our money" thing is something that I had to adjust to (and am still adjusting to). I used to love treating myself to a mani-pedi or a mini shopping spree after I'd closed a deal, but I feel guilty doing that when I'm not working, even when my husband encouraged me to do it! (another reason besides Botox that I wouldn't make a very good Real Housewife). If there was a next time, I'd keep perspective and realize I don't need it, but I'd treat myself every now and then :)

5) Take a page from AA / serenity prayer: 

"Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Simple as that. Accept that some things are out of my control, and do my best to manage what I can control.

6) Put 1 Thing on my To-Do List per day

A wise family friend who previously moved overseas gave me this piece of advice... I just wish I would've adhered to it more! By putting one thing on the list, no matter how small or how big, you feel a sense of accomplishment when you check it off. 

Special Thank You to my PIC (partner in crime) 

7) Say "Thank You" More

I would recognize that the ones who love you go through hard times when you go through hard times... and I would say "thank you" to these people more.

8) Do More of the Same

Ok, so I guess that's not technically doing anything "differently," but I would do more of everything that I did: write, read, sketch, photography, volunteer, run, travel/travel solo, learn a language, etc. I would continually try to learn more about myself, discover new interests, and find new intellectual challenges on a daily basis.

9) ENJOY IT!! 

If you're like me and your job is (or was) entwined with your identity, it can be difficult to distinguish between the two and enjoy prolonged time off work. I always thought I would be good at that...  not so much. Not that I didn't enjoy my time off -- I did, but I would try be more European and treat it like an extended holiday, as they all have told me to do!

What would you do with 9 months off?