Sacrifice is financing this trip. It is the sole sponsor for my friend and I. We both have little to no savings but similar earned and now vested 401K accounts. We worked for the same company at two different locations - her five years and me eight. So when she proposed quitting to gain access to the funds, I was already ahead of her. For years I have wondered what it would be like to quit and simply live off the money. The idea of leaving early to get whatever we needed before we left was mutual. We executed two similar plans of strategically leaving thirty days before the money disburses. So her last day was two weeks ago on a Thursday. She had a lot of fanfare and gifts. My last day was this past Friday with no celebration. She put in two weeks and I left rather abruptly. I haven't really inquired as to how she is feeling with the voluntary change. I just know that my brain hasn't fully adjusted and she seems to have moved on rather quickly.
We worked at a company that prided themselves on having a culture. Now surely many American companies and brands say they have this. They all have their methods and say theirs is the best. I would say the model for our company was great at first and we slowly watched its demise. Leaving for France or leaving in general was warranted. The culture was a lifestyle - very hard to break when leaving. So for the both of us leaving was like being cut off. It is very similar to going into civilian life when being dismissed from military service. I continue to tell the story of we and us, when I left three days ago. There was no mass exodus, I am the only one who left (Update: it became a mass exodus of all the Black chicks after I left) - I am also not entitled for the luxuries of servitude - Insurance, discounts and open communication. I also mysteriously left from a small staff where everyone knows my name. She left a city of people and only a few will genuinely miss her. People are curious as to why I left and have conveyed a feeling of abandonment. She has been gone for weeks and has never looked back.
The only advice she has given me since departing was to take it easy. Apparently, she over booked her own personal freedom. At first, I wanted to believe she was making plans for the trip, packing or shopping. No, she has actually found other forms of work. Since her last day she's had several photo shoots, meetings and museum visits. Of course most of this is to supplement her income and help save for the trip. Meanwhile, I'm sleeping in and shopping around for carry on suitcases. I feel overly normal and like some kid without any priorities in life. Today I ran around with my mother buying knick knacks and eating out. It was a very lazy, unproductive day. A day one with no job would revel in. I can't say if I have an itch to be more active or simply productive. I just feel like something is off in my own little universe. I also feel like a coward for basically quitting with a letter and an email. I never stepped foot back in my job. I also handed in my letter of resignation off premises. I basically removed my personal effects little by little a week ahead. Maybe because she lallygagged and left with a box of possessions there was more closure. I just feel empty and fluffy all at the same time.
The great thing about being away with no real explanation - people talk. So far there are at least a dozen reasons as to why and how I left my job. Oddly enough, it could never be as simple as I just didn't want to work anymore, take my earned savings and go travel. It has to be more dramatic and elusive. I'm allowing myself one week before I'm forthcoming about my plans. I like the idea of people guessing I won the lottery or that I am pregnant. Since we worked in completely different departments in different states, people have their own similar ideas about her. People do know we are friends outside of work, so they are inquiring about us planning something and mutual acquaintances are fishing from both ends. It is funny to think that simple farewell emails and us both not returning to work has people talking days and weeks later. For now she is meeting with family and I'm having a party. The whole plan is to get what we need done but not stress ourselves out. I'm also planning to go up to her before she flys out in late May. I wonder then if people will get two and two together. I guess the only way to smash the rumors and convince the naysayers will be to take one statement photo over their. Maybe a shot in front of the Eiffel Tower will help? I guess we both don't care to impress anyone. We just want to live untied to whatever that was. A culture. A lifestyle. A job. Life should be untethered and I hope there is some appreciation left to be had. Any and all would be a great sponsor for our adventure. There it is, eloquently said, "we are going on an adventure!".
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