For the month of July in 2008, I was willfully unemployed for the first time in my adult life. It was actually the first time in my adult life that I was unemployed for more than 2 days (a weekend between jobs). I had sold all of my belongings - bar a few boxes of bits and bobs - and had grand plans of moving to Australia for a year. At the time, I was 29 and able to apply for the Work & Holiday Visa. This particular Visa allowed travelers under the age of 30 to work for no longer than 6 months at a given job and be in Australia for no more than a year. My (well practiced) story goes like this:

On 8/8/08, I boarded a plane in San Franscico. Thanks to the International Date Line, I landed in Sydney Australia on 10/Aug/08 (the opening ceremonies to the Bejing olympics were on a TV in the airport bar as I walked by). Two days later, I took a bus to a recruitment agency, having made an appointment prior to leaving The States. While at the agency, I was in a room alone filling out the basic paperwork. A recruiter came into the room and said, "A fax just came through that might be perfect for you." And it was. Within 6 days of landing in country, I had scored a job with Wella (A Procter & Gamble company). It turned out to be a pretty good job too, because 6 months later they wanted to keep me on. So, with some fancy paperwork they hired me through a different legal entity. Six months after that, they still wanted to keep me, so they sponsored me with a 457 Visa (Employer Sponsored Visa). Thanks to this job, I also met my (now) ex-spouse. I was able to apply for and get Permanenet Residency (de-facto relationship) and after much anicipation, I am about to become an Australian Citizen (dual American/Australian citizenship) - And on Australia day, no less! 26 Jan 2015!

All of this story telling was my preamble for what is happening this Friday. For the second time in my adult life, I will be willfully unemployed. Over the last 18 months, I have worked for Samsung Electronics and the 19th of December 2014 is my last day. It is my sincere intention to go all Walter Mitty and travel to my heart's content - or until the money runs out.  

I have grand ideas, imaginations, fantasies, hopes and dreams. But if I've learned anything in my years on this Earth, it is that the future is a mystery. I don't know what's going to happen next. Everthing could fall in line with my plans - travel through Europe, drive across country in the US, settle down here or there. But the day-to-day experiences will take me by surprise. And I am looking forward to sharing it all with you - my friends, my family.