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Catherine Gacad

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Time Off

We were living together.  Really, I was shacking up with him in his apartment.  But most of the time I had the place to myself since he worked in Boston during the week and came home on the weekends.  It was the perfect arrangement.  Probably more perfect for me.

We had both been laid off.  We took a couple weeks to vacation and hang out.  He got a job.  I got into business school with no incentive to find another job.  I had enough money saved up.  I wasn’t paying rent.  Even in a committed relationship, I do like my own space.  I like some down time all by myself.  
With his consulting gig, he was gone for most of the week.  Besides, we fought…a lot.  The less time we were together, the less time we spent fighting.  And we enjoyed our weekends more because I did miss him.
I slept in until 10-11am, toasted Eggo waffles, surfed the web.  People say you get bored when you don’t work.  I don’t think those people know what they’re talking about.  I wasn’t bored at all.  I had lunch with friends.  I went dancing until the wee hours of the night.  I saw plays, exhibits.  I travelled.  I walked my friend’s dog.  I cleaned someone’s house.  I spent one year of my life doing nothing of significance and I loved every minute of it.  
I’m so glad I did.  I see people go from school to work straight to another job to another job. No rejuvenating break.  I feel sorry for them.  I had a mini retirement in my late twenties.  I recall the one year I spent laid off, then the two years partying in business school, and I think, I’ve had a full life.

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03.24.08

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Welcome to my site, derived from an advice column I wrote while getting my MBA. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I give helpful, opinionated advice based on my own experience and from the expertise of my extensive network. For more, click here.

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