About Me
I guess I should tell you about me. It would help to understand how we ended up as we did, with this lifestyle and why it was such a huge change for me in particular.
I always knew what I wanted to do when I grew up. All I wanted to do was to be a lawyer. I knew this from the age of 9 years old. Well, ok, after I gave up the idea of being a neurosurgeon, having spent too many years in the hospital with sick family. But I knew what I wanted from a young age. Most of my friends even now, are still working out what they want to be when they grow up. They are in their 30’s and 40’s and have always had the same career.
I worked hard, put my head down and concentrated on my goal, gave up a lot, looked at all my friends who, after their first degree in University, were getting married, getting good jobs, buying nice cars and houses-I was just starting my second postgraduate Law Degree and could barely afford rent and my law books and had large university loans. I always wondered if I was making the right decision by continuing on to a postgraduate degree….but always knew it would be what I wanted, that it would get me where I wanted to be.
I was lucky and after graduation from my law degree, the law firm I worked in as a paralegal during university, offered me a full time permanent role. I thought I always wanted to work in a law firm-I thought it was my dream. Until I did. Then I realised it meant doing the same thing, the same work, the same niche specialization over and over again, every single day. That’s what specialization was. Not for me.
So I was fortunate to be headhunted to work in-house at a large international corporate bank. That’s where it all started. And I loved my job. And the excitement of the adrenaline, deadlines, managing a team of my own, the stress-I lived on and was exhilarated by the stress. It gave my life meaning and meant I was needed and important. And this was where I started working 12 hour minimum days. It continued into the next job at an investment bank, the next job heading my own team of lawyers and having the coveted board positions. Each job change meant a higher position, more money, more responsibility, more hours, more stress. I loved it. Any spare minutes of the day had friends squished in to a ‘quick’ coffee, ‘quick’ bite, ‘quick’ chat-it got to the point that some of my friends would meet me in the street to walk (translation ‘run’) with me to my next meeting just to be able to see me and spend time with me. But I loved being busy, feeling important, making great money, being stressed-I slept a maximum of 5 hours (I didn’t need sleep, I was living on adrenalin!), got up in the dark at 5:15am every morning to run the beach to be able to be in at work by 7:30 or 7:45 at the latest, grabbing a coffee on the way for breakfast.
Then I decided to try something different. I was happy at my job and loved the people, the company, the board positions, working with my team….but I was bored and there was no where for me to go, no where for me to move up to that was of interest. So, when the fateful executive recruiter called one day, I decided to go to meet them. It was the beginning of this story. And the rest of my life. The job offered a new world-combined my legal and financial knowledge with my love of people in a small team that was growing into a successful business. It was supported by a large international bank, led by a dynamic MD who could sell ice to Eskimos. Plus the money was great. The job was a very steep learning curve but I loved the challenge. It was a tough test but I enjoyed the dynamics of the team, the ability to think and work outside all boxes that before had closed doors and a challenge to my brain-and there was travel, limo cars with drivers, international conferences, money was no object if it meant getting the job done well and quickly.
And there were conference calls. Alot of them. Very early in the morning for the US offices and very late at night for the European offices. And travel usually meant either overnight and you worked when you arrived straight from the airport in the morning, or you ensured that you left in the depth of the morning to arrive in time for office opening meetings. And stress, lots of it. Mixed with adrenaline of course. The MD kept his suits and work clothes at work. I originally thought this was a crazy idea as the clothes never went home, they went straight to the cleaners and were delivered straight back to the office. Then I saw the light and thought this was a great idea. Saved time going home to change.
It was a never ending,wild ride. Everything I ever wanted. Or so I thought…. And by the way, did I mention I was married? During the chaos of my career, I somehow managed to meet a wonderful man. At work, of course. He did not actually work with me but rather I was his client. Or his boss. Or something. Anyway, he was a financial strategy consultant that was employed on a project to restructure my area and, ironically, help us figure out how to ensure my team and could do more and spend less hours at work. We dated, split (because I had no time and he thought I was not committed to our or any relationship) and I reaised I wanted to be with him. We were together for 6 years before he popped the question on a glacier in Canada when we were heli-snowboarding. Ironically, he has a fear of heights. But he did it for me (did I mention I loved adrenaline rushes?:))! I could not say no and wanted nothing more than to marry him. So what happened? How did he put up with my hours, my friends taking all and any ‘spare’ time I had, my never being home and when I was, I was running around non stop or on the phone on a conference call?
He had tried to slow me down, our holidays were always fun filled, adrenaline packed, active and for a minimum of 3 weeks. He said I couldn’t slow down and sleep until the end of the first week of holidays so we needed the time to have a holiday after the week. He asked me several times to not work so hard, would I work a day from home per week, could I try something part time-anything, to see him a bit more. I loved him but I loved my job too. Not a contest. Just two different things that I loved that were part of me, part of who I was, how I was made up. Or so I thought….
Then came the fateful day of reckoning. The markets started tumbling, the whispers of blood on the streets, large amounts of money being lost, fraudulent funds going under and companies claiming Chapter 11 insolvency. And it was the beginning of the end. I lost my job. My company was no longer being supported by the large international parent overseas. They were locally in trouble. I was one of the newest and the most expensive employee. I was to go. I have never lost a job (or much else besides loved ones who have passed away) and hated losing even a game. You likely gathered that I am very competitive. And hate losing. Anything. It is failure to me. It was a huge hit in my gut. After all these years of working toward a goal, I felt betrayed, by the company, the team, especially the MD, in whom I had put my trust to ensure he had built a viable company to employ us. A company that we worked hard for, to grow and prosper together. TOGETHER, not just him and a few others. I phoned my husband after the initial shock wore off-he offered to pick me up in the city, sounding sympathetic, concerned, worried about me but I detected a hint of happiness in his voice (maybe I was just delirious). I declined his offer to come to pick me up as I had my car in a parking lot. I sat for a while in a cafe drinking in the devastation and feeling shocked at the way my life had turned. MY LIFE. It doesn’t happen to people like me. Everything works. Somehow. With hard work, passion and positive thinking (remember this part for later-remember these words).
I was embarrassed to tell my friends who, when some found out, were either shocked or dismissive, assuming I would have another job next week and people phoning to offer me a new job within the hour. But I was still in shock. I eventually drove home. Still in shock. Into the arms of my husband. He was lovely, concerned, worried for me, caring-we talked about it. And what to do next. That is where this whole story really starts….it was always his dream…..now it is also mine….I am now convinced that there could be nothing better, no better to way to live…..why work for anyone else, why rely on others for your work and paycheck, why not have a job where you can work anywhere in the world, from anywhere in the world, any hours, any time, travel, spend 6 months of the year away in different countries……and the best part is being able to spend time together. This is exactly what we are doing. And it is the beginning of our adventure, our journey…….and the rest of our lives. And I will tell you how we are doing it.
