Go West, Young Man

I was at Edelman Digital for just over four years when an old boss came calling. His siren's song tickled me. "Leave your gig," he crooned, "and I will give you your own department that you will have the authority to build from the ground up."

"And the support?" I asked.

"The support of the entire agency," he promised. "This company recognizes the value of copy, and you have the personal assurances of myself and the CEO that no obstacle will stand in the way."

The honeymoon was short-lived. Things didn't quite go according to plan and, after a year of attempting to make the doomed relationship work, we both decided it was best to go our separate ways. I was to go searching for my next gig while they were to continue going down the path they followed before I arrived - a digital department that relied on clients and account people to write copy.

It didn't take long for me to get over it. I was upset with myself for ignoring the warnings of people who said I shouldn't go work for the boss, but I did pull some positives from the experience. First off, I learned to take every unwritten promise with a grain of salt. Hell, even the written ones can easily be broken with words like "resource allocation" and "budgetary restrictions." Second, I learned that freelancing can be pretty damned alright.

Working as a freelance writer has afforded me the freedom to come and go as I please. I've worked from home in my boxers with a dog at my feet, and I've worked in an office with friends I know from previous gigs. I took two weeks to travel. I'm taking another six weeks off soon so I can spend an entire month on the mountain in Utah. While it's true I won't get paid while I'm gone, I also don't have to worry about getting my manager's approval to take the time off. Which is nice.

I'm hoping to get back to writing more on this upcoming trip. I was debating whether or not I should start a new site called "Thirty Days in Utah," but I've decided to keep everything here. I used to post regularly and I'm hoping I can do so again. After all, if thirty days in the Wasatch doesn't inspire me, then perhaps nothing ever will.