I sign my first contract

So I held a farewell party at work. What do you say at such events? Thank you for firing me? I genuinely loved my fellow workers and I hope that came across in the ‘speech’.

I had been negotiating with work that I come back as a freelancer. Before the party I sat with them and we finalized the details and I signed my first contract. It isn’t much – around 22 hours a month, but it is income and in my comfort zone. What was nice was that I could then provide the positive slant to my leaving (including occasionally coming into the office to see everyone)  – how I could go to the beach with Shaul, work whenever I fancied and for as long as I wanted. That is how I see it, and I hope that I have time for myself. (Really? Let’s see how that fits in with reality.)

I work in high-tech and we are basically slaves. Yes I earned a lot, but I worked such long hours. Life was work and not much else. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my work and need to work to affirm myself (yes I know that isn’t healthy, but its true). So I am really hoping that I manage to strike the right balance – enough work to keep me happy and provide an income, but not too much – I want to have time to relearn about me.

What do I want to do? Well first I have started walking to the beach in the early morning with Shaul. I also hope, once the weather cools down, to go on small trips with him – maybe to walk around a part of the city and see what has happened to it during the last few years while I have been busy ignoring it, maybe to go birding in a small reserve. Just to spend a few hours outside in the middle of the week when sane people should be working hard indoors.

TIP: don’t be afraid to ask others. The original contract was seriously OTT for a technical writer. I checked in some forums and received confirmation that I did not need, for example, professional indemnity insurance, and managed to have this removed from the contract. There are many wonderful people out there who are willing to provide advice if you just ask.