Scott and I just returned from vacation this weekend.
All last week, we were on our first ever cruise! We sailed from Galveston to the ports of Roatan, Costa Maya and Cozumel on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas. It was seven days of relaxation, sun, water and fun. We had a balcony room and watched the sunrise from it each morning while eating breakfast. At each port, we scheduled an excursion and swam with dolphins, stingrays, sharks and lots of other sea life. On sea days, we jumped into several of the activities on board the Liberty for entertainment, but also found enough time to just sit by the pool and read. The food was fantastic and the drinks were refreshing.
It was incredible.
On our way back to Galveston, I realized that I was not dreading returning to reality. I mean, was I ready to leave the you-don’t-have-to-do-a-thing-we’ll-do-it-for-you-’cause-you’re-on-vacation life I’d been living the last week? No, I could have happily lived that life for at least another week! But, I was also ok with getting back to real life. I wasn’t dreading it. I wasn’t shutting down and tuning out and bracing myself for what was to come. Even on the drive home from Galveston, I didn’t open up my work email, feel the weight of what was waiting for me and then stare out the window and ruminate about why I was struggling so much with going back to work.
All of that would have (likely) happened if this vacation had taken place a year ago or six months ago or even this summer.
Back to [a different] reality
But, “real life” for me has changed drastically in the last couple of months. My obligation as an employee had been gradually decreasing since mid-July. With each passing week, I was having more days that required less time at the office. But, I was still tethered to the university. There was still an understanding that I was available to help and, perhaps, even some expectation that I would.
As of August 31st, however, that is no longer the case.
I feel no further obligation to the university and am no longer considered a full-time employee of the university (though, technically, I am still employed as a Temporary Hire; I’m just not really thought of as being employed). When I submitted my resignation in May, I verbally told my boss that I’d be willing to help, in a consistent capacity, through the end of August at the latest. I knew that it would take time to find a replacement and get him/her hired and trained. My intent in resigning was never to leave the university in any more of a bind than any employee leaving an organization naturally does. I was not leaving the university because I was treated poorly or because I was mad or some other fault-of-the-employer reason. My decision to leave had absolutely nothing to do with ACU.
This means that, as we were headed back from our fake life on the sea to real life on land, I was headed back to a different reality than before. One that did not include me walking back into an office on Monday morning.
A new “real life”
This new real life I’m living is going to require an adjustment. Make no mistake, I have stuff to do. It’s not like I’m returning to a life of nothing. But, it’s my stuff that needs to be done that I’m returning to, not someone else’s. I have a couple of shoots this week and need to do some marketing work for the photography business. And I still haven’t made it through the blogging course I purchased in JULY (!!) to get this little blog fully launched and (hopefully) monetized.
But I also have friends to see (one who had a baby girl while we were on the cruise!) and laundry to do and four dogs to snuggle and a house to clean and some Dateline episodes to catch up on and some college girls to mentor and some reading to do and horses to be trained by and…”life”…to live, you know?
I feel so blessed to be able to give this life-outside-of-8-to-5 thing a shot. I’m not at all sure what it’s ultimately going to look like. I’m not even sure it’s going to be “successful” or that I’m not going to have to go back to full-time employment. But, for now, I’m here and I’m learning how and when to do all of these new real life things.
And that is the best part of returning from a wonderful vacation.
What about you?
What’s the best thing when you return from vacation?
I will be retiring soon and can totally relate to your post! Great writing and very interesting read. Thank you!
Thanks, Shirley! Hope your retirement brings you freedom, flexibility and a bit of relaxation!
Love this – I think this feeling is telling you that you are on the right course for your life!
Thanks! I agree. It’s a little scary but…I think it’ll be worth it! Thanks for stopping by!
Congratulations on your new reality! That’s so exciting that you are moving on towards doing what you really love! And, a 7 day cruise sounds amazing btw 🙂
It was pretty fantastic! If you ever get a solid shot at taking one yourself, I’d encourage you to do so!
I can’t wait until I am able to get out of the traditional 8-5. Just needing my blog and Etsy shop to take off a bit more before I can take that leap. So glad you are able to do it! Enjoy 🙂
Thanks! Here’s to your 8-5 freedom coming sooner rather than later!
Sounds like a fun trip. Looks like the weather cooperated as well. Glad you’re back!
Thanks! It’s good to be home. We did have one day of icky-ish weather but the rest of the time was gorgeous! Thanks for stopping by!
Congratulations on your new adventures! Taking a risk can be so scary but can also make your life more amazing then you ever imagined it could be!
Thanks! Hoping for that “more amazing than imagined” life, for sure! #notgonnalie 🙂
Jo, I love your post. I look forward to the day when I too can come back from vacation to a life which I can’t wait to get back to. As of right now, I’m still working a full-time job that for me is very stressful. The stress finds me within an hour of me punching. Your post gives me a glimpse of a future that I hope I will have soon.
Thank you! I appreciate the place you find yourself in and pray that you find relief, in whatever way(s) that may mean, soon! Thanks for stopping by!
What a great perspective! I usually feel refreshed after vacation, except after Disney!
I have yet to experience a Disney vacation! I hear GREAT things, though! Any tips?! Thanks for stopping by!
Beautiful trip!
Enjoy this new phase of your life! I can relate- I quit my job to devote all of my energy to my blog. And the decision to do that came before our last vacation because I knew it wouldn’t be a vacation at all with that job!
Allison @lookslikehappy.com
Haha! I understand! It was a different level of enjoyment, for sure! Good luck with your blog!!
I felt the same way when I stopped teaching!
That is great! Glad to read about your new reality!
Thank you! And thanks for stopping by!
OMG! I am so with you! Isn’t it such a wonderful feeling to look forward to getting back to your stuff…not someone else’s. I truly appreciate the chance I have to be my own boss! Good luck with your new life! ?❤️
Thanks! Good luck to you, as well!
Oh, my goodness. I just returned from a cruise that took us to Cozumel, as well. What a great trip and, yes, back to a different reality myself. Good luck to you and your new endeavors and here’s wishing you the best with your “new life.”
Thanks!! Here’s also to another cruise in both our futures!! Haha!
Leaving Thursday on cruise out of Galveston to Cozumel on Saturday then back to Galveston. What kind of weather we looking at, my first cruise go figure. business online pharmacy
Nothing like NOT walking into an office Monday mornings. Of course unless it’s your own home office.
Aaaaamen.
This is so wonderful! Vacations are supposed to be fun and enjoyable, but our everyday lives should be, too. I hope you continue to love your new reality.
Thanks! And the same to you!
Congratulations on your new reality!! The best thing when I return home is being at home preparing for the week.
Nice! It is kind of nice to prepare for the week ahead, whatever that week might look like for you, isn’t it?!
That is amazing! Good luck on your new journey! I can’t wait until I can break away from my 9-5 responsibilities.
Thanks!! Hope that break away comes sooner rather later for you!
This is such a great way to think about the end of a vacation! I always focus on the fact that it is over and forget that there is a lot of nice things about getting home.
Oh gosh, I hear ya! It’s super easy to focus on it being over! I certainly did think about that, as well! Haha. But, getting home really is nice, too…most of the time. ;p