So Long, Day Job! Saying Goodbye to the 9-5

So the day finally came. After 15 years of being a funeral director, it was really strange to be able to drop off all of my black suits at Goodwill and sleep through the night knowing my answering service wasn’t going to call and wake me up with an urgent message. Saying goodbye to cherished colleagues was hard, but with the wonder of technology, “goodbye” really isn’t goodbye any longer. Being a funeral director was an incredibly rewarding profession and I loved knowing I made a difference in the lives of families on their hardest days, but it also reminded me day in and day out: Life is short. Do what you want to do today because tomorrow is not guaranteed. I’ve known since I was a little girl that what I really wanted to do was travel the world, share the stories people tell me along the way, and inspire other people to live the life they truly want to live. 

I have about a month and a half before I set out on my next big bucket list adventure, which *really* doesn’t seem like enough time to get rid of decades worth of accumulated stuff, put a few prized possessions in storage, and say “see you soon” to my closest friends. I’m also filling my days with lots of travel research, and getting around to a lot of cool Florida things that I somehow managed to miss over the last 13 years. I also have a road trip coming up next month that I’ll be writing about with a very special co-author. Stay tuned!

Have you ever quit your job and moved to the other side of the world, or just packed up and decided to start a new life somewhere else? I’d love to hear your tips and stories- tell me all about it in the comments!