We don’t make mistakes, Just happy little accidents-Bob Ross

26^th February 2016, the day is stamped in my memories for all the good reasons. I was leaving behind the biggest baggage of my life-my corporate job. I was taking my last breath in the AC filled rooms to venturing my breath in the fresh air. End of one life to the beginning of the new one. Fixed salary every month, friends and memories-all of it I had to leave behind. There was no other choice, the decision was made for my better life and I had to move forward even if the emotional baggage on my back was much heavier.

Time ticked, 26^th February finished its routine. Now, what next? No swiping ID card to enter the office, No manager to report to, no more AC chillness, no more drama with colleagues, no more free coffee, no more fixed salary. All I have now is my “freedom”; mine alone, the freedom that I own.

September 2015 I spent a week in Sri Lanka for my birthday, once I returned I couldn’t work in a closed space anymore. I was confused if I can hold my corporate job and travel using my leaves and long weekends like I did the whole of 2015. It was not enough, every time I had to come back to work that I don’t like; I had this feeling to rip myself out & scream that I am not meant to be here.

Also read: Confession from a Confused Mind.

I had an EMI of my phone to clear so I forced myself to work for few months, save some money and then leave the job. Meanwhile, I started my research on travel blogging, volunteering, freelancing and other jobs I could do while traveling. Everything looked promising; I decided to take the plunge and resigned after 4 months.

After I left the job I had my savings to survive for the next few months, as there is money in the bank account I was not very serious about looking out for opportunities. This was the first mistake I made and everything else followed along with this.

Plans

I did not have any prior experience of writing, blogging and neither did I have any contacts in any media to publish my articles. My rough plan was to travel the next few months with my savings, and then I would receive my Provident Fund (PF) amount which I can use as a base and freelance. Most of the times, few things don’t work like we would want it to work. My PF amount didn’t hit at the right time but I got a job in an Organic Farm/Guest House, this was just when I was almost out of my savings.

This job gave me a feasible income, not less and not more. Just as much as I needed, the job was hectic and I couldn’t concentrate on writing so I could not look for any freelance jobs either. I left the job after 2 months, traveled again for a while and then was almost out of money. Searching for freelance jobs is one of the biggest tasks, it was too difficult and always demotivated me. As I knew I was going to receive my PF amount sometime soon, I have to accept that I almost lost hopes to look out for freelance jobs.

I never believed in plans, plans don’t work I would say. Well, it does work sometimes, especially when a major decision of leaving a job is taken; there should be a good plan to sustain. I indeed did my research before leaving the job but it was not enough, a stronger plan with a good foundation was needed. I was trying to build a palace even without buying a land.

Goals

Making a big name in blogging, being an author could have been my ideal goals. I did not have any, at that moment when I had to leave the job; I was only looking for opportunities where I can survive while traveling. There are many roads and I tried stepping on every road without reaching any destination, of course, the journey taught me great lessons but the destination is amazingly beautiful too. I pretty much blindfolded myself to look at one goal, I was trying to shoot the bullet without aiming.

Money

So far the biggest mistake is to take things very lightly with money, after the job in the Organic Farm/Guest House, I was almost broke the next 2 months, that’s when my long wait for PF came through. I was on cloud 9, I made smaller plans to use this money as a base and do freelance jobs while I savor on this vagrant lifestyle.

As the opportunities for freelancing were very less and every time I think of it I would be upset, I met someone who gave an idea to start the café. I invested all my money to start the café; the very first day when the work had to begin I was betrayed. Not to dwell more on this, the cafe didn’t work out and I lost all my money.

I did not plan better, was not clear with my goals and I took money as a very simple commodity. But let the truth be spoken, money is needed! No matter what, even if I want to escape into a forest I need money to eat food, stay healthy to walk and stay focused.

These are the mistakes I do not really feel good about, instead of “I should have done this or that”; I would like to learn from these mistakes. I am now clear on goals and have better plans to achieve them, like Albert Einstein said-A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.

Blooming…

Wild Flower