Today is the last day of my three-month sabbatical and the first day of the new year. There is a certain synergy and vibe to it. It has been a fabulous three months in which I really feel like I got our home life back together and re-centered my soul to boot. But now? Now, I’m ready to go back. No regrets.
Thinking back over the past three months, I don’t have any great achievements to tout. Mostly, the entire sabbatical was about systemizing our life after so many years of mild chaos. You know how it gets: things get a little sideways here, a bit out of whack there and pretty much you end up with s more than one junk drawer (and they’re all overfilled) and a list of things to do “someday.” On my sabbatical, the goal was to clear the decks, get rid of the excess and take care of the small things that had ultimately totaled up to a lot. And you know what? I’m so glad I did almost all of that.
As I slide back into the real world, my junk drawers have been reduced to one drawer, which admittedly is still about ¾ full. I’ve made regular trips to the dump, donation and recycling, but I’ve hauled out a lot of the excess. Together, we have nearly finished our upstairs renovations, which will be the last interior renovations for awhile. The biggest impact? I finally know where things are.
Heading back to work, I’m ready to have the time to focus on professional pursuits again. Nothing big, mind you, as I’m still not in that work-or-die headspace I used to be, but enough to keep me engaged and satisfied. As I can pivot away from home and yard, things are in a good space. The house has been deep cleaned and decluttered and the yard has been well-maintained with no big “cleanup bombs” for spring. We were even able to take care of the dead and fallen trees in our woods.
It’s time. Over the next two weekends, we will finish our renovations and I will gradually store the Christmas decorations for our house. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to gearing up for work and focusing some energies there. In February, when we no longer have renovations to do, I want to focus on eliminating one final area of excess: my office closet. Then, I can get rid of two final pieces of furniture and settle that room once and for all. After that? Hmmm… some hikes, cross country skiing, family time and work time are on my list.
In truth, I’m not really sure what the next few months will look like and that’s for many reasons. First, I definitely have to hustle and find work. Three months off means a nonexistent pipeline. That’s going to take some time to build and success doesn’t just rely on effort but will require a little bit of luck as well. Additionally, I’m not sure how home will feel when there isn’t a “to do” list. When we actually finish the upstairs – 10 crowns and 30 pieces (of trim) to go – and the tools get put away, what will be left? If I don’t have a project, how quickly will I get bored? And then, with the house finally decluttered and situated as we’ve always wanted it, what else is left to do?
Honestly? I fear boredom probably more than anything. I hate that listless feeling. If I have purpose – a goal on the horizon – I function much better. After nearly ten years (!!!!!) of renovations, there is a small part of me that is pretty concerned about how I’m going to react to not having a project.
Still, I stand by the no regrets. The past three months have been incredibly busy and satisfying. Yet, it’s time to move on. I’m ready.
The Yuppie Homesteader 