Unsolicited Testimony

I’m taking my first sabbatical.

My workplace offers a three-month paid sabbatical after five years. I never dreamed I’d actually reach this day! I’m so grateful, and I’ve decided to try blogging each day, even if only for myself.

Over the weekend, I spent a lot of time with friends, and it was all so good. I’d forgotten what it felt like to just hang out without worrying about waking up too early or cramming everything in before Sunday night for work.

I did take some time to think about what I want to get out of these months:

• Reset. I’ve already deleted my alarm.
• Move. I reserved my workout slot at Life Time for the next week (you can only reserve 1 week in advance)
• Read. I’ve set aside a stack of books I’ve been meaning to get to.
• Connect. I’ve put calendar events on the books, breakfasts with friends, a wine tasting, and a brainstorming session with a local traffic engineer to make educational videos.

I also made a Google Sheet to track my sabbatical by the numbers, and it isn’t what people might expect:

• Hours slept
• Naps taken
• Miles walked with my dogs in the sunshine
• Books read

What else? I don’t know yet. I’ve tried hard not to set rigid goals. Let’s just see.