Three Years Ago Today

Photo from April 2012 right before we moved.

From my Google+ Page on April 2nd, 2012:

My anxiety use to just come up when I was in bed at night. Now, I am sitting at my desk feeling like my heart is going to pound out of my chest. I am trying to act natural. I pull the trigger in about two and a half hours.

Actually quitting my job was simultaneously one of the hardest and most rewarding things I have ever done. I couldn't control the shaking when I handed in my resignation letter. My voice cracked. I did it. Then I went to the bar.  

I feel so relieved. There have been many things I haven't been able to share with the world, and now I can.

I gave my notice to my employer of 8 years. My boss was extremely awesome and I might be able to work out some part time remote work for them as well, which will help the transition a bit until I build up more freelance business.

I gave 5 weeks notice, because I am loyal to the company. My last day is May 5th and we'll move into the Tiny House by May 17th (that is the last day of our lease so we have to be out one way or another by then).

"Tiny House?" you say. Yes, you read that right. My partner Matt and I will be moving into the 120 square foot house that we spent the last three years building by hand - pretty much just the two of us. Oh, our crazy little cat will be coming with u too. You can read all the adventures that led up to this at my blog. And I'll be posting regular updates as the construction of 120 Square Feet turns into "Living in 120 Square Feet".

I had been sharing small things on Google+ because it was more private and less populated than Facebook. Only my very close friends and family knew that we were planing on moving into the tiny house full time. On April 3rd, after giving my notice, I posted the following:

I had expected the worst, but my experience was quite the opposite. I am really glad that my co-workers of 8 years are actually happy for me rather than being upset because I am changing their world as well. I mean, they are sad that I am going but not angry about it.

Moving into a 120 Square foot house will be a huge change for us. But we have never stayed in one place for that long. When we moved to Georgia 9 years ago we had no idea what to expect. We made a lot of great friends and really liked the city, but we got complacent. We commuted to our jobs and worked all day and came home. We had personal lives relegated to weekends and evenings and 15 PTO days per year. We are taking back our control of our own lives. There was no use in waiting any more.

Speaking of - if you know anyone looking for a freelance writer/blogger - send them my way!

I will be regularly updating my blog. Matt went up to Asheville this weekend to get some things finished (you know, like the bathroom) before we move in. I will be spending time this week getting some things in the apartment organized to either be donated or put into storage or moved up to Asheville. (Or just thrown away! It is amazing how much junk two people can collect in one apartment in just two years!)

Of course things didn't go exactly as I had described. I never did remote work for my former employer. Ultimately, I'm glad about that. It forced me to push harder to get freelance work right out the gate. I've never spoken to any of them again which I find kind of surprising, but it is what it is.

Overall, the experience of moving into the tiny house, and specifically to Asheville, has been the greatest change in our lives. We found a community where we feel like we truly belong and we want to make a difference here.

I quit, and it was the single greatest decision I made in my entire life.