I’m going to break from the protocol here at gailatlarge.com — where I don’t talk about work — to talk about work for a moment.

Yesterday was my last day of work for the Ontario government. I gave my notice nearly three (!) months ago, on December 10, when my contract first expired (it was extended once and then twice more since December). It was only on the final day of the two-week deadline for applications that I decided not to apply for my own position. A replacement was hired late January, and I’ve been training her for the past two weeks.

Yes, the government wheels turn VERY, VERY slowly.

I’ll be freelancing for the next little while, before turning to new directions.

For those people who know me in Real Life, a job in the government probably seemed out of character. It is. Perhaps it seems out of character even if you don’t know me in Real Life, and only through this webspace. But I wanted to give it a try because I am a big believer in broadening one’s experience, which is apparent by pretty much everything I’ve done since I left home at 18. I also believe — not just from the typical nice things people say upon departure — that my contribution to the workplace was valued and I’m leaving with good references. I take pride in my work and, as with my previous place of employment, there are a fair number of Excel files created by me that people will continue to use for some time to come. My reputation as an Advanced Excel User is still alive and well!

Ultimately, my career goal is self-employment. It is the only way I can ever get enough time to travel the world the way I want: at a leisurely pace; avoid the resorts and mingle with the locals, eat from street vendors or in people’s homes, take photographs of everyday life, meet neighbourhood artists, and learn about cultures firsthand rather than only through media such as books or film.

Life is too short to go on holiday for two, three, or even four weeks each year. (Europeans get much more time off than the average North American!) This is why I go on weekend road trips, so I’m travelling with greater frequency instead of waiting for that one big holiday break to come around, because it’s not enough. For me, the irony is that travelling keeps me grounded, because it resets my brain and reminds me how lucky I am. If my parents had never left the Philippines in 1974, you wouldn’t be reading this because I certainly wouldn’t be writing it. Travel would be a luxury I could only dream about. Instead, I’ve travelled to more than 20 countries by myself, lived in five, worked in three, and intend to keep going until I can’t do it anymore… which hopefully is a long ways off. But I know all too well how short life can be, and there are no guarantees — especially for health.

I’ve been asked many times at the government office what I was leaving to do, and I said I didn’t know yet. The reactions were interesting, to say the least. I appear to be either supremely confident, or supremely foolish. I could be accused of both, I suppose!

The freelancing won’t replace a full-time job, which I will need to accomplish some near-term travel goals. I haven’t been able to mount a full-scale job search recently because the training I’ve been doing for the past fortnight has sucked all the energy right out of me, but now that I’m no longer working during the day I can turn my attention back to The Search.

(I don’t post my CV online, but if you’re in Toronto and have a job lead for me, I can customize one and send it to you. Feel free to email me: gailatlarge@gmail.com)