Whistle while you work

It's been over 6 months since I've done a lick of the work I spent about 7 years of my life getting ready for, but that time is coming to an end. By next week, I'll be donning my white coat, putting my PDA and stethoscope in my pockets, and then spending a good percentage of my time back in the hospital. Not a bad thing, as 6 (really, almost 7 months) without income is kind of worrisome.

Has my time been well spent? Well, I think so. Ok, so I spent almost a full month of that time playing Warcraft. I enjoy the meditative quality of playing the game, interacting with others, the inevitable trash talking, and I have a jolly fun level 70 troll hunter to show for it.

I've traveled, too. Ireland, Spain, and one final international trip to Mexico before I start. Plus I got to spend some time traveling within my homeland to visit family and friends. So I went from having never been to Europe to going twice in 4 months, which makes me happy.

Books and movies occupied a good portion of my time, and Half Price Books is definitely one of my favorite haunts. I never feel too guilty for reading something from cover to cover there considering the amount of books I've sold in the past for a pittance that later moved for quite a bit more. That being said, I have bought several books from there, so don't go thinking I'm not supporting my favorite business. Plus, they sell coffee. You think I don't get some whenever I go? You would be wrong, my friend.

A good percentage of my time was spent in the company of my friends, be it during some of the above or while lounging on sofas watching TV. Lots of great times have been spent eating, singing, drinking, dancing, or even just doing absolutely nothing. Nothing is one of the easiest and hardest things to do, but I consider myself quite good at it. Well, sometimes, at least.

Karaoke? Of course, every Monday. Amy and I were the reliable standbys, with frequent appearances by Karrie and Alicia, as well as various other friendly faces who would come out periodically. We are undoubtedly one of the best karaoke audiences on Earth. I'm proud to say, even JuJuBe took part, although at a different venue from our norm.

So, will things change when work starts? Hell yeah. But I've got a handle on at least some of the things that make me happy, and I'm not going to let go. Because one of the things I've learned from watching others and my own experience is that life is a hell of a lot more than work. I like what I do, but that doesn't mean that I forgo the life outside of my job. After all, I want to be happy while I'm there, and even more so when I leave.