Some people get a mid-life crisis… I’ve had the good fortune and luxury of having a mid-life retirement. The last 8 months has been the best time of my life - reading, working out, spending time with family... basically, enjoying life on my own terms. But alas, that is all coming to an end in a couple of weeks
I started casually job hunting over the summer, then put it into full gear in September when the jingle.kids went back to school. Job hunting isn't really all that fun, but it had to be done - I wasn't 'set' enough to full-time retire. I'd been a final candidate at a couple of jobs, but they both ended up going forward with internal candidates. Last week, I got the offer for the job/position that I had dearly wanted - that I had been chasing since the beginning of the summer. Back in June, I had beers with an old customer who connected me with a colleague of his (Mike… my soon-to-be boss). Mike and I kept in touch over the summer, and just before Labour Day he called to tell me that they were going to add a person to his team. Two months and 5 rounds of interviews later, I got the job offer, and start at the end of the month.
It’s all been surreal, and I’ve truly been blessed over these past 8 months. My old company (which was acquired) has turned into an absolute train wreck. People are pulling the ripcord all over the place, and there are still more changes to be coming. My job/company had been a tremendous irritant to my depression, and a handful of other problems in my life. I was one of the very few that got out at a good time AND with a good package.
So 8 months ago, I get told by them to go home, along with a fantastic separation package. I'll end up having taken 9 months off (that also came with some additional perks related to the separation that are too cumbersome to explain), and the job I end up landing is as if it was written with my resume in mind, in a growing space in the technology industry, and a 20% raise to boot! I told mrs.jingle that this almost doesn’t feel real… that it’s too good to be true. The time off has invigorated me in so many ways, allowing me to do things I never would have been able to otherwise … most of which has helped me push aside my depression.
We’re off to Costa Rica to “celebrate” next Thursday, and then I start work again on the 27th.
Yay me.