I recently quit my job at Apple. More on that in a later post, but for now, the main point is that I've spent the last 3 weeks unemployed. I can't recommend 3 weeks of uninterrupted time off enough, even if you have to quit your job to get it. It's glorious.
I played video games. I caught up on film and TV. I read books and comics. I even made a pilgrimage to every comic shop within 15 miles of my apartment. But more than all that, I rested. Truly rested.
I regularly take vacations throughout the year. I'm a big fan of time off and rest in order to be able to recharge, but I've never taken an extended period off between jobs before. It's something else entirely. It wasn't just rest. It was a reset. I left the old job behind, did nothing except what I wanted to do for 3 weeks, and found myself again in the process.
I don't really know how to explain "found myself" here, except to say, I feel calmer, more at peace. I respect work. I appreciate my new job. I am able now to put it in its proper place. After this reset, I hope I don't allow myself to get back in that place where work is everything. It's important and needed, but there's so much more to life. I'm able to appreciate that more now than I did 3 weeks ago.