I’m officially on sabbatical and it feels pretty good. I busted out a strong last week at work to close all loose ends and ensure my colleagues wouldn’t be severely impacted by my absence.
After my final week at work, I spent the weekend catching up with close friends nearby in Orlando. My friend Ian is getting married next week and I haven’t had a chance lately to talk to him about how he’s feeling. He seemed like he’s ready, but has some building nervousness propagated by all the attention the day will undoubtedly draw. I can’t blame him for feeling anxious.
Rolling into the “work week”, I’ve kept myself very busy and plan to do so for the time being. For months leading up to my sabbatical, I have contemplated several specific goals and objectives for this period. I started my Monday by making a list of all such goals. And then I developed a weekly schedule to address meeting such. My current goals pertain to various aspects of life such as relationships, personal growth, professional aspirations, updates to my house, etcetera. Most notably, I have a near-term goal to pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Exam. Doing so allows me to practice mechanical engineering, with a specialization in thermal and fluid systems, as an individual instead of under the umbrella of a corporation. I’m sure I’ll discuss these goals in more depth later. However, this week basically consists of studying all day, going to the gym, cooking dinner, and reading before bed.