What Freedom Feels Like (when you are a chronic planner)

I feel like I should post something. I'm a few days into my LOA and this was the whole point - to have time, right? Well, in typical Christie style I've packed my schedule pretty full until the end of October, so I'm not sure when this whole taking a break feeling will settle in, but I'm guessing somewhere between week 2-4 of Costa Rica just around Thanksgiving when I stop having somewhere I'm meant to be. But enough projecting -- I need to work on this whole in-the-moment thing people keep talking about.

At my final days of work this week I was surprisingly motivated and engaged. I showed up to my training sessions on time, I asked lots of questions, and I still naturally used the word "us" to talk about my practice and my firm until around 5pm on Wednesday afternoon, half-way into my Cosmopolitan when I finally admitted that "you" all will have an interesting year sorting out the IT backlash of the financial firm meltdown. I should admit that I still have my Web version of my work email logged in and up on my screen. Yes, it's sad, but my excuse is that I'm still getting some personal emails through and I want to keep my inbox clear. Don't worry, I'll wean myself off in good time.

My first day of freedom consisted of fretful sleep (I was up at 4:30am making a to do list for God's sake) and far too many errands for my liking, but that's what comes of delaying it all the past two weeks. I also spent a total of 3 hours commuting to/from Wimbledon and my boyfriend's house in Central London, more or less due to poor planning on my part.

This morning my alarm went off at 5:30am. Ug. I don't think I've been up that early since....well, I can't actually remember to be honest. It was for a good reason though - to meet my parents at Gatwick airport for their 7:00am arrival flight from the US. They are staying two weeks and it's a much needed vacation for them both. All that was on the agenda for today were naps, organising around the house, I did lots of cooking and cleaning for all the day's meals, and we took a 90 minute stroll around Wimbledon.

It's been a good day overall, but a bit overshadowed by this sore throat and swollen gland issue I've had towards the end of this week. I'm pretty sure my body is just pre-maturely reacting to the impending 11 month detox of 5 years of consulting and 2 years of hectic London life by properly coming down with everything I should have but didn't over the past few years, but the paranoid side of me is slightly worried about the small chance I could have mono, which James just recovered from earlier this summer. We think there shouldn't be an incubation/infection overlap, but let's see how the next week goes.

The main plans over the next week are celebrating my (and my Dad's) birthday on Sunday with a day of friends, meals and good beverages, taking my first WSET (Wine Spirit and Education Trust) wine course on Monday, and visiting Vienna, Austria with Mom and Dad Tuesday-Friday. See, I told you I was busy!