Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. -- Helen Keller
The "Short and Sweet" Version
I did it! I submitted my notice to my boss at work Monday morning. It was hard, though after I got it all out, I felt a HUGE sense of relief. I agreed to stay on a few days longer than initially planned, through November 21 (the day before Thanksgiving). My boss was both surprised and supportive. He said his boss, peer, and the HR VP were all happy for me. "You're only young once," he said. It should start to become public knowledge in the next few days.
The Long "Play by Play" Version
I woke up and went through my normal morning routine. I wrote "Just Do It" on my whiteboard before jumping in the shower. Once in there, I said some affirmations. After getting dressed, I played a few of my favorite Pennywise songs from the DVD I created the night before. I stepped outside of my warm apartment into the chilly 38-degree air. The sky was a brilliant and complete blue - not a cloud in sight (sadly, such morning skies remind me of 9/11).
I continued to listen to Pennywise on the way to work, until I started feeling as though my heart was going to beat through the wall of my chest. I realized mellow music was called for to relax me, and popped on Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" which put me at ease.
After about 15 minutes of settling into my cubicle as usual, I called my boss and asked if he had time to meet with me. He was available immediately. I tend to be diplomatic, and sometimes take awhile to get to my bottom line message. I chose a different approach for this situation, opening with "This is really hard for me, so I'm going to get straight to it." I then proceeded to tell him about the decision I had made to make a big change in my life, and pursue my passion for travel by embarking on a trip around the world. He responded with surprise, support and curiosity.
When I indicated November 15th as my last day, he suggested a little more time might behoove me given my managerial role and the time of year (we're busier than normal through Thanksgiving). Four extra days before a holiday would be easy enough, so I agreed to make November 21st my last day instead. Glad I hadn't bought a plane ticket yet - I want to leave the company in good standing!
I immediately felt a sense of relief and excitement, updated my good friends and parents, and went about knocking tasks off my pre-trip "to-do" list at lightening speed with a clear mind and a satiated soul.
