Carlyn's Adventure Journal: It just got real.

Thank goodness, this trip finally feels imminent. I was starting to get nervous. I've been excited, but something about it seemed really far away... until this weekend.

First of all, I had my last day of work on Friday. That entire last week I'd gradually started to feel as though I was losing relevance there as my duties and clients got picked up by other people and I had less to do. Friday when they threw me a going away lunch and gave me their well wishes was when it actually hit home that this chapter was over. The nice things they had to say to me before I left helped make me feel less irrelevant and I'm very lucky to say that I haven't had a single day of unemployment since my first job after college about 5 years ago.

Now I'm sitting here at my house on a Monday getting things organized for the week that I'm actually, finally leaving for my trip while everyone else is at work, or called in sick from their SuperBowl hangovers. So it's feeling pretty real.

The other thing that made it feel more real is that I had my last weekend out with many of my close friends. I'd be lucky if I had just one friend like these guys and gals. So I must have some awesome Karma from another life or something because I was given an embarrassment of riches when it comes to incredible friends in this life. Not everyone could make it out but all for good reasons and I know they'll be here when I get back.

Now I have to start tying up loose ends, packing and getting my house in order so I don't come home to immediate chores... I guess the "work" doesn't end just because I don't have a job. I hit the road first thing Thursday!