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sbdiane · 10-16-2008, 03:33 AM

I wanted to give an update. I quit my job last March to go hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Since I returned from hiking 1500 miles of the trail I have been working on writing a book about my experience. I signed up for a writing class and read part of my book to people in the class, all intimidatingly good writers. Their response was wonderful. They loved my story and the way I told it. They wanted more. They wanted to ask me more questions about my experience. It was like the way I was able to write they forgot all about the writing and only cared about the story. I feel like a writer now.

I read a book about writing and it said that writers have to be careful not to sell too much of their time to others because time is all they had to pursue their art. I feel like hiking is my art and that my ambivalence over the past few months to go back to a corporate job was because I was afraid it would kill my art. I feel like I need to follow a new, non-corporate trail through life so that I can continue to hike and write about my experiences.

I now have a part time job at a pet store. I love birds and the pet store is all about birds. It does not pay well, but it will help.

I also have a chance for another part time job analyzing audio tapes for whale song. I will have to see if I really want to do this, but it would help pay the bills.

I have also so far gotten two clients for my freelance web dev career, the second one from word-of-mouth. They have both been really great small business women. I feel so amazed at these successful small business women. And they have been so helpful to me. They understand someone like me wanting to go into business for myself and have been so helpful with information about doing that. I have decided that my web development will be aimed at very small businesses. That will be my niche. I love helping small businesses and they tend to be run by really cool women. Even the pet store is run by women. I don't care about the money, and this is an attitude that has always worked in my favor. Anytime I do something for fun and for free I get paid more than I ever expected.

I love knowing that my livilhood is not tied to one single organization. I can feel that success is just around the corner. I can't wait until my book is finished, too. It has been a long time of patience to even feel like progress is being made, but I feel it coming right around the corner. Things are happening. I am very happy right now.

10-16-2008, 03:33 AM	#71 (permalink)
sbdiane Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 300	I wanted to give an update. I quit my job last March to go hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Since I returned from hiking 1500 miles of the trail I have been working on writing a book about my experience. I signed up for a writing class and read part of my book to people in the class, all intimidatingly good writers. Their response was wonderful. They loved my story and the way I told it. They wanted more. They wanted to ask me more questions about my experience. It was like the way I was able to write they forgot all about the writing and only cared about the story. I feel like a writer now. I read a book about writing and it said that writers have to be careful not to sell too much of their time to others because time is all they had to pursue their art. I feel like hiking is my art and that my ambivalence over the past few months to go back to a corporate job was because I was afraid it would kill my art. I feel like I need to follow a new, non-corporate trail through life so that I can continue to hike and write about my experiences. I now have a part time job at a pet store. I love birds and the pet store is all about birds. It does not pay well, but it will help. I also have a chance for another part time job analyzing audio tapes for whale song. I will have to see if I really want to do this, but it would help pay the bills. I have also so far gotten two clients for my freelance web dev career, the second one from word-of-mouth. They have both been really great small business women. I feel so amazed at these successful small business women. And they have been so helpful to me. They understand someone like me wanting to go into business for myself and have been so helpful with information about doing that. I have decided that my web development will be aimed at very small businesses. That will be my niche. I love helping small businesses and they tend to be run by really cool women. Even the pet store is run by women. I don't care about the money, and this is an attitude that has always worked in my favor. Anytime I do something for fun and for free I get paid more than I ever expected. I love knowing that my livilhood is not tied to one single organization. I can feel that success is just around the corner. I can't wait until my book is finished, too. It has been a long time of patience to even feel like progress is being made, but I feel it coming right around the corner. Things are happening. I am very happy right now.