Side missions only

Life—and all of its great stories—isn’t linear. Challenges and changes come at you fast. My latest adventure? Freelancing.

It’s been a little over two weeks since I was laid off, and honestly, I couldn’t feel any better. I had been applying to other design jobs for months with no luck, just looking for a way out. The bingo card of goals I made for the year literally says, “Leave Tribe, Inc.” I planned to hold on for a few more months to save more money, but the universe decided to speed things up. After a month-long conversation about my billable hours and shifting job description, I was finally let go on February 10th. On February 11th, I started living in an answered prayer.

I wasn’t miserable at my last job. I’m lucky enough to say I never had a bad day, and I liked my coworkers. I learned so many professional and personal lessons during my time there, and I’m genuinely grateful for the entire experience. But that was never enough for me—I liked everything about the job except the work itself. It was just that: work. When I take another full-time role, I want to be excited about the projects on my desk. That requires honesty and a deeper understanding of my own interests. What do I care about? What am I drawn to? I can identify the material conditions I’d like my work to afford me, but that’s not enough to drive me.

Forty hours a week is a huge commitment. I’ll be working for the majority of my life. So I made a decision: I’m pursuing passion and curiosity exclusively—for now. Who says I have to take a “big girl job” right now or make finding one my first priority? Honestly, that phrase annoys me so much. The real “big girl job” is life. It’s choosing to live on my own terms and prioritizing my happiness above all else. I know I have to work, but I don’t have to live to work.

For now, my 9-to-5 adventure is on hold. I’m not itching to sit in someone’s office and create for them—I’m building my life, and I want to be sure of and excited about everything I include in it. That’s really the fun of it all. I can make a decision and keep choosing, as long as I have breath in my lungs. I’m 24; I have so much more to see and do, God willing.

I’m choosing to pursue “side missions” for the time being. If it makes my ears perk up, I’m there. I’m showing up for things, people, and experiences that make me feel something. Otherwise, what’s the point of living? My hope is that these side missions—and the conversations that unfold along the way—spark something. My hope is that this adventure leads to a new direction with some focus.

I’m choosing my own adventure.