Two weeks

I gave my two weeks notice last week (standard when resigning in the U.S.) and more and more colleagues are finding out every day. The look on their faces when I explain WHY I'm leaving is priceless. Think bug-eyed, slack-jawed disbelief, usually followed by a big grin. I am grinning all the time; I can't help it.

Away from work, I've been sorting my belongings to make them even more meager. My goal is to take one rolling suitcase, a small duffel bag, and a backpack -- none of them crammed to overflowing -- and leave a few small boxes at my parents' house in Seattle.

Even though I went into this sorting process with less stuff than anyone I know, it's been overwhelming. I realized that it's not about letting go of the stuff or worrying that I'll miss it -- no matter how exhilarating and positive the change, there is never a perfectly easy, convenient, and obvious time to leave one's life behind.