A Contradiction

A Contradiction

I imagine Independence Day represents something different for each of us. Most recently for me, it represents the day I quit my job of 16 years. 

Even though I stayed at that job for a long time, I’ve never cared much about careers, titles or status. Sure, I chased them half-heartedly for a bit, mostly because I felt like I was supposed to. But it didn’t last long. 

My entire reason to work was so that I could more effectively enjoy my time away from work. I worked in order to live, not the other way around. 

For someone like me, who wasn’t building a career or climbing a ladder, the wine industry provided a perfect balance of work and play. And I was happy there for quite a while. But perhaps due to changes in the job, changes in myself, or simply getting tired of doing the same dang thing for sixteen years, the work started to feel... uninspiring. 

So, after an agonizingly long time mulling over my options, I decided to quit. 

That was exactly one year ago today.

When I share this story with people, most assume that because I was so tired of my job, quitting would be a gigantic weight off my back—that everything would suddenly be sunshine and rainbows and that I’d wake up the following morning in pure bliss. But it wasn’t like that for me. It was good, don’t get me wrong, but I felt the weight of my decision. Even though I had outgrown the nest, so to speak, I still enjoyed its safety.

Besides, I wasn’t just leaving the job, I was also walking away from a large part of my identity and social circle.

I never once second guessed my decision, but I was definitely dealing with the ramifications.

At first I didn’t handle my new freedom very well. Without a job to answer to, my routine and schedule practically disappeared. I began staying up late and sleeping in longer than usual. And without specific time parameters or deadlines, I found myself procrastinating more than I ever had. Ironically, I finally had all the free time in the world, yet there I was wasting it. 

It didn’t happen overnight, but I slowly began to settle into my new reality and developed a new routine. I stopped wasting so much time and started doing more of the things I had always wished I had more time for.

One of those things was travel. 

It turns out, this is where not having a job really rocks. I went on small trips and big trips, weekdays or weekends—it didn’t matter. I could go whenever and wherever I wanted. I was finally getting the hang of this whole “not working” thing! 

One thing about me, however, is that while I absolutely love to travel (and want to do much more of it), I also love being home. 

A contradiction. 

But the more I considered this contradiction, the more I realized that there was at least one clear solution. One which I’ve considered for years and even wrote about recently. 

So this 4th of July, in addition to celebrating my one year of freedom from my job, I’ll also be celebrating the purchase of my very first camper van—a vehicle designed for freedom.

I’ll be sharing many more details in the coming weeks! For now, if you’re out celebrating today, I hope you have a fun and safe time. Happy Independence Day! 

Much love,

Jake

“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” —Albert Camus