Last day at the office

I just realized that I will be going to the office for the last time tomorrow before my sabbatical year is really taking off. These 2 weeks of holidays have gone by at warp speed. Time goes by quickly when you're having fun.

I only just realized it, while I knew it all along because I have been cleaning the car (a company car) - as planned - 1 day before spending my last day at the office. I have to turn it in clean on the in and the outside. It is spotless.

What do I realize now, and I knew it all along : I will be carless for the first time in 20 years. That will be something to adapt to.

Together with my car, I'm turning in my badge to get access to the office building and to every floor in the building. Even to leave a floor, one is obliged to badge. That will be something to adapt to. I have been known to try to open the front door at my house with this badge or to get a drink from the Coca Cola machine with it. And opening the car with it does not work neither, but as I will not have a car anymore...

Together with my car and my badge, I'm turning in my laptop. I will have to spend some time regularly in internetcafés. That will be easy to adapt to.

Together with my car, my badge and my laptop, I will be turning in my mobile phone. Aha, got you ! I will not adapt to anything on that matter. My friends and family will have to adapt because I got myself another mobile and my own private mobile number.

I just realized : I will be carless and careless ;-)

The start of my diary

After a few hours of trying to find the best way to keep my friends updated, I've decided to create a blog. I am getting to know the world ;-)

Second decision I had to take was the language I will be using to write down my thoughts & experiences. I decided to stick with English, as this is commonly understood by all candidate readers.

And what was the reason anyway that I had to take these decisions ? Well, I'm taking a sabbatical year. Will try to find new horizons and need some time to reorganize my life.

I have been traveling a lot these last 10 years, but always as a tourist. And have seen a lot all over the world... Now it is time to experience more and not stay restricted to seeing things. Feeling, sensing, smelling... and learning.


My first stop will be Syria. Will be leaving on the 17th of August. I have been visiting this country several times last year and after being astonished by the variety of magnificent archaeological sites, I discovered that I feel quite at home in this country. Mostly secure which may seem strange to you.
Anyway, hope to spend a lot of time there to learn Arabic.



In the meantime, I have been working hard and still am to get things organized :

• cleaned up the appartment and got rid of all these things "that I kept because maybe some day they would be useful". They have been donated to a good cause.
• reorganized my financials - this is really needed when you will be spending more than you earn
• worked hard on the communication tools - new mobile, phonebr, e-mail address & this blog.

At the same time, I'm visiting my friends all over the country as on Friday I will be turning in my car (together with all my other benefits linked to my job as a process manager in telecommunication).

It will be fun to manage a budget again. I know : it is weird ! First, you work very hard to acquire a good salary and benefits and then you think you will have fun to live without it again. But that is how I feel !