2 years, 4 months ago, I decided to stop working. I tell people it’s because I wanted to explore the freegan way of life and figure out how to make it last for the rest of my life without having to go back to work.
That’s only partly true. It’s just that the real reason is so much harder to explain when you’re in a social setting. So I conveniently gloss over it.
3 years ago, my marriage broke down. I remember writing in my journal on 30 Nov 2016 that “today my marriage has ended”. I was left carrying the shattered remains of my dreams and hopes. Like Humpty Dumpty, I could not put the pieces back together again.
6 months later, my working partnership ended, and I was left carrying the financial liabilities of the business.
The two experiences took place so close to each other that they broke me.
I couldn’t go back to work, pretending it was business as usual. So I did not. I closed up business dealings and cut off the bleed. I should have ended the business then, but I did not have the energy to do it. I just stopped, and let the business continue to stay alive for another 1.5 years more. That was a good decision, because money continue to come in drips for a while more.
I dropped everything else and went on a 2-year sabbatical. That’s how long I figured my savings could last me.
A year later, I moved out and went back to stay with my parents. I should have left earlier. But, as it was with my business, I didn’t have the energy to do anything about it.
I took my cat with me, and gave him a new home, one with lots of freedom to roam and do whatever he wanted. He’s so happy now.
My sabbatical shoud have ended my sabbatical 4 months ago this year. I should have run out of savings by now, but I’m still going strong. Some unexpected income has provided me with more time. I haven’t figured out how to make this lifestyle last forever yet, because I got distracted by Singapore’s food waste problem.
But I’ve resolved my business issues and finally closed the business down. As for my marriage issues, I’m entering the phase where the unresolved issues will soon be addressed.
Right now, these unresolved issues are like a large cloud of uncertainty in my life. It is hard to plan for any future until these are resolved.
Daniel Tay 