It seems like for everyone I talk to, 2019 has been a dumpster fire. I know that I will be happy to see this year in the rearview mirror. For those of you who know me/follow me closely, you know that I have struggled with MS and other health related issues this year. Then in August, the company I worked for announced that they were selling our business unit. These last few months I have spent a lot of time reflecting on my career path and what I want to do going forward.
It surprised a lot of people, given that I’m only 41, that I opted to package out. Instead of applying for a job with the new operator, I requested to be severed. For me, the choice was simple. This is an opportunity to make a deep change in my life. I have explained in my blogs, that I have always enjoyed writing. I enjoy engineering and math just as much. In the last few years, I have felt that my job was taking me down a path that led me away from what I enjoyed doing. I was no longer an engineer, I was pushing paper and collecting a paycheck. Meanwhile my blood pressure was ratcheting up, as I argued against decisions I disagreed with, only to get overridden. The stress seemed to eat away at my very being. The only thing making my job worth doing was supporting the great technicians and operators I work with.
I hinted over this weekend of exciting announcements to come. I’m still waiting for my final severance date (I’ll get my letter in the mail Friday—I’ll be sure to let you know). But in the meantime, Ray and I are laying our plans for the future.
Monday Ray and I will be putting the down payment for our first solar kit out at the cabin. We’ll be sharing pictures and posts as we design and install our new solar panels, inverter, charger and batteries. We’re looking forward to the greater flexibility as we stay out at the cabin for longer in the summers and plan out adventures.
We also have some major construction projects in the works for the summer of 2020. We poured our foundations this past summer, but in July, we will be erecting a new cook shed and shower/sauna. It feels a little weird, bringing creature comforts to our cabin that has been rustic for so long. But as we transition from city living to Chicken these are changes that will make living off-grid more convenient.
We also plan on taking a few months and driving the ALCAN (a trip I have never done before). We’re going to do an extended road trip to visit friends in the lower 48. As some of you may have noticed, Ray and I have kind of an obsession with old ghost towns. Expect to see lots of pictures and historical blog posts about our adventures.
We’re not entirely sure what the long term will bring, but I am excited for this leap. I plan on focusing on my writing in 2020 and hopefully bringing my fiction works one step closer to getting published. I also hope to get my own engineering projects/start-up company off the ground. I’m grateful for this deep-sea change. This is a true, once in a lifetime opportunity, and I look forward to sharing our plans and schemes with those of you who keep following me.
