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Gardening can involve many muscles and also be restful, or riding a bike as a means of exploration and exercise is another splendid option.

Unless you are a diplomat, working at a foreign consulate is just a job. I find it fascinating how most think of it as this regal position, and at the same time have no clue what exactly it is. (I could really mess with some minds if I wanted to!) A consulate general is not an embassy, and local staff don’t travel the globe for work. There can be some hilariously odd happenings, but everything beyond that is classified 😂

It was difficult to leave the position of teaching when my Japanese program was cut 12 years ago. I’ve always had a passion for learning and teaching others has been an extension of it, and I had been teaching on and off from the time I had been in college. While it is a time consuming position to be at home late into the evenings making materials and planning classes for the coming day, it was very rewarding as well. Like any skill, I can see how the more years you do it, the better your instincts to bring in more engaging material, stay flexible with changes, and accumulate boatloads of resources so you don’t have to make everything from scratch. I came to my current job not out of passion, but for service to others. I expect my upcoming change at the beginning of April will be a continuation of service to others, but there’s the opportunity to educate my clients and I’m looking forward to bringing some of that passion to teach back.

So I plan to quit my job in the morning which is something I’ve wanted to do for about 10 years. I know I won’t regret it, and I have been wanting to change careers for some time, but didn’t know which way to go. When you are anxious about the unknown future struggles but excited about the new experiences, the feeling is unsettling. Plus I’m tired of so much feeling.

I often complain about work stress, but I plan to quit my job of 12 years on Monday and put an end to that chapter of my life.

It wouldn’t be something to take lightly, as with great wealth comes great responsibility. Helping my parents pay off their debts would be important, and I would tread with caution about helping family and friends in a way that doesn’t feed addict behaviors which could leave them in much worse situations. I would want to quit my job and do some job of passion that helps others first and foremost. Most of those jobs don’t pay enough for one to live comfortably, but volunteering my efforts would be greatly rewarding. Philanthropy would be a big focus, though I may also hire a financial advisor as there are many things I would not be prepared for. My hands would not be lazy, but I could take time to reduce stress by taking care of my health and worrying less about financial problems.

That is always the first thing to tackle when deciding what to read – what are you in the mood for? The best books are likely ones I haven’t heard of, so it takes random searches and wandering around bookstores and audiobook apps to find the next one. One year I did a challenge to read one book I already owned but hadn’t read yet every month. Researching top 100 lists of classic novels is fine, but the random finds can be just as great or asking others for their suggestions. I just finished an audiobook on Mister Rogers today and I am enjoying reading “The Poppy War” as a night book. I actually need a new audiobook for my commute, so maybe I’ll hunt on hoopla tomorrow. I tend to mix adventure and fantasy with educational and biographies, basically hopping back and forth or doing one style in a paper book and the other style in audio.

I like to get so absorbed in an activity that I lose track of time. Long bike rides, gardening, and reading in a park can be great. Perhaps it reminds me of summer vacation as a kid when the days felt so long and I could do whatever I wanted, mixed with chores I enjoyed like listening to music while mowing the lawn in an evening glow, or raking leaves while thinking of a story I was writing or excitedly waiting for an installment in a show I followed. Time was irrelevant back then, food magically appeared, and finances were never even thought about. I would like to live more like that now, but responsibilities are greater as an adult. It is something we’ve had to give up in our time-crunch working life, so doing things that can take as much time as they’d like feels great.