Sailing...Into Troubled Waters

Finishing my work abroad was in itself very educational in a spiritual kind of way. It was not simply that I was quiting to go to another job, which most of us do, I was not going to any job at all. I was going to travel and travel and travel. The idea of getting a job was far on the horizon. It was so far away as a concern that for once in my life I felt true mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual relief. I could take a big sigh and let it all out. There was no tension, only contentment.

I also felt content in the realization that when I got back home that I'd look and easily find work and start the next chapter of my life. My future plans were to get more on the job experience in Hospitality and Restaurant Management and work more diligently on my Business Plan for a new food business based on the Anti-Inflammation Diet. I was going to call the idea Sustenance.

Life in Edinburgh was slowly coming to a close and I could enjoy the entire process. I was excited to travel but really enjoyed working until then. I'd never felt that before! I see now the benefit of knowing when you are going to work and when the work will end. I think maybe that's why vacations don't work, because the work/job never actually ended you just took a longer break from it then the weekend.

The last month was not as I had hoped. Instead of being smooth sailing, the closing up of my life in Edinburgh took on an edge of anxiety. I had given notice to my flat mates that I would be vacating my room on October 1, 2008. I told my work that I would would be leaving on the 28th of September, at the end of the pay period, so I could finish all my packing up. All seemed fine until I got a really bad sinus infection in the first week of September. I had a fever and muscle aches, goop coming out of my nose, and a really sore throat. This meant that I could not work due to being contagious so I could not pay my rent or have money to travel. It also made my last month at Harvey-Nichols more stressful because my employers were wondering if I was really sick or trying to enjoy the summer weather and local festivities. I also had to keep packing and deal with the ridiculous inconvenience and expense of mailing my stuff home via the Post Office.

While I'm fighting to keep my last month in Scotland light and easy as much as possible, I came to understand that my travel companions back home were not having it light and easy at all. By the time our travel date approached none of us were in a state of ease. This tension would unfortunately be with us the entire trip. This tension would lead me to alter or cancel plans I made for myself. I oonvinced myself that I needed to do this to keep the peace and our group together. As it was I spent much of my time traveling alone. We would arrive in a city, get settled and we go in our own directions. In hindsight this was the best thing for us all. The reason I mention this is because of how these expereiences influenced what happened to me when I got home weeks later. I'll talk about that in my next chapter.

Thanks for reading.