If you see me, tell me where I am

Just to clear some confusion, this trip is not about finding myself. It is about doing something that both Jeanna and I decided a couple of years ago we wanted to do. Since before we were married we have talked about spending an extended amount of time in Costa Rica. It just so happens that now is the time.
Why, you may ask, did you decide to leave such a good job to do such a thing? The short answer is . . . I didn’t. I didn’t leave my job to go to Costa Rica. If that was why, I would have asked for a leave of absence (receiving it would be a different question). I left my job because I knew that I didn’t want to do it. It wasn’t and isn’t where my heart is. I wasn’t having fun doing it and I have always said that I would live on the streets before I hated getting up and going to work every morning. That’s why I left my job – it just so happens that it’s a good opportunity to go to Costa Rica as well.
So, in the end, even though I don’t always know where I am, I can tell you that I’m not going to Costa Rica to find myself. So if you see me while I’m gone, tell me where I am.

Key to the universe

It was a day not unlike any other except for the weather. We were enjoying low humidity in the Miami Valley as Jeanna and I were visiting her parents for the weekend. I had left my job the day before in search of some clarity, direction, and so we could take an extended trip to Costa Rica before we got old(er) and fat(ter). I had no idea that by the end of this normal day I would be privy to the one piece of information that holds the key.

John Gray has made quite a name for himself in his attempts to explain the differences between men and women. I’ve heard the argument before that, because men don’t read, the book was a futile attempt to explain these differences. I’d say Gray, or at least his editor and publisher, realized that men weren’t going to purchase this book because the women control the money anyway. Even if men did read, no money = no book. It’s that simple.
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So, I Guess You’re Graduating at the End of the Summer?

No.

This is a question I get all the time, especially from my fellow classmates. One would assume that since we are leaving the country for four months, I would be completely finished with school. Although I have taken my comprehensive exams (Yes, I passed them all!) and I have taken the Capstone course, I still have one elective course left in order to complete my MBA degree.

Most people ask why in the world would I take an “early retirement” before finishing school? The answer to that question is simple….I will be furthering my education in ways that many others will never experience because of fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection and fear of the unknown. I would much rather pursue this opportunity and finish up my “paper education” sometime later. I have all the time in the world. I have chosen to build my resume though life’s education, rather than classroom education that will only add text on paper, but no depth to the person I really am.

How long have you been with [CompanyName]?

Lately I’ve been inclined to share the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding my recent resignation. This one definately ranks in the top ten. “How long have you been with [CompanyName]?” To which I normally respond, “2.5 years.” Here’s the long version.

days employed = 681
miles driven = 87941
days in the field = 519
physician calls = 3633
product details = 7266
airports visited = 19 (?)
number of times i’ve said . . .
“[DrugName]” = 54495
“osteoporosis” = 43596
“atrophic vaginitis” = 727
“menopause” = 14532
number of times i’ve heard . . .
“no” = 29064
“like it, love it, write it” = 29064
“vasomotor symptoms (or some variation thereof)” = 10899
“can i sign something for you?” = 2361
“do you have any pens?” = 1526

For every opportunity, there is a sacrifice

We’ve talked about skipping the country and going to some exotic place for sometime now. It was something that we spent a great deal of time dreaming about and discussing, especially those wonderful nights when we would lie in bed talking and laughing for hours. As we drifted off to sleep in our Serta perfect sleeper, with a plush featherbed, and 400 thread count sheets, we would both say, “The perfect opportunity will come along soon and when it does, we’ll know it”. This went on for a little over a year, when one day, we finally realized, there was never a perfect opportunity. As Ryan so appropriately stated, “If you wait for the perfect time, you will always wait”. I just love that he said that because he was so right. He has that quote (he said it first) hanging on our office wall. It hit me like a brick wall when I first read it. Just seeing it on paper made me appreciate how true it was.

We were lucky enough to recognize this and realize that for every opportunity, there is a sacrifice. People ask us everyday why would we want to give up all our belongings, great jobs, and a beautiful house just to go to Costa Rica? The answer…opportunity. We’ve decided together to make this small sacrifice in order to have the opportunity of a lifetime. Just think, when we get back, life will be so much sweeter. We will have a life experience that many others will never have because they aren’t willing to sacrifice their Serta perfect sleeper, plush featherbed, and 400 thread count sheets. It’s all about opportunity…and sacrifice. Which would you choose?