After another cup of Theraflu and 35 mg of weed in the form of a watermelon drop, I found myself thinking of gaps in the real estate industry and my leveraged priorities. Where did my time go? I wasn’t happy or rich after becoming a real estate agent but I was more knowledgeable and, you guessed it, depressed.

A haiku:

Anywhere any night
What scene we write onto this page tonight
therapy at millionth sight.

I’m making my escape. I’ve spent the last week of July looking up farms for workstays, how to build aeroponic systems, and donating clothes. Yesterday, I quit my part-time job that was bringing in just enough income to cover my expenses. I’ve also referred out my real estate clients to trusted associates who could take care of them. I’ve called this a sabbatical but let’s call it what it really is and what I haven’t stopped thinking about since I started writing poems at age 7. My escape.

Who else has grown in that state of mind? The need to escape life as you know it. Call it the modern life, maybe the grind or family obligations, whatever it is that has consumed your life. I have spent years contemplating what is right for me while ignoring the pulse of my dreams.

You’re invited to follow me on this journey as I make my escape from life as I knew it & learn to relax, refocus & recommit.

I’ve spent most of my life ensuring that I am financially stable and successful, or rather, employed. But success doesn’t have the same meaning for everyone. My intense need for stability turned my security plan into my priority, and as sweet as it is to have a “good job” or be financially stable, this safe approach to life isn’t enough for me.

I want adventure. I want to be resourceful and create for myself and others. I want to disconnect from systems that contribute to inequality and greed. I want to make a living writing. I want enough to be able to enjoy mother nature, free time, and travel. I love to help people, and I want to do so without sacrificing myself.

It’s taken time to get here. When I turned 33 this year, I swore to myself this is my year (I’ll spare you the cheesy meme). I was gearing up to become a powerhouse real estate agent but instead, I got chronic headaches and felt more and more distracted and disconnected from the life I was living. I didn’t get rich, I got depressed. I had become numb, a feeling that’s familiar among so many of my past workspaces.

I now recognize what serves my soul and ultimately needs most: creating, learning, and being in nature, as well as moving my body and connecting with others through poetry. This is what I want for my life, and that is what I am pursuing.

But first, rest.

Come back every Saturday to follow my journey & insights as the Escape Artist.