An office with a view

For the first time in my life, I have an office with a view!  Well, I mean, a view other than the wall of a cubicle. ;)

Our guestroom/my office

My little "office" with a view :)

When we found out we were moving to New Mexico a year and a half ago, I quickly started working on a game plan for my job.  Originally (over 5 years ago), my company told me they would let me live across the country and work remotely, which was amazing.  Unfortunately, however, when push came to shove that wasn't an option anymore.  A lot can change in 5 years (management, the economy, etc.) and I understand that.  So instead, my boss told me he would hire me as an Independent Contractor on a time and materials contract.  That basically means: 1) because I wouldn't be an employee of the company, they wouldn't give me any benefits (healthcare, vacation, sick, etc.); and 2) I would get paid when work was done, as opposed to being a salaried employee.  It was a risky option and pretty unreliable, so I put it on the back burner. For months and months I scoured job postings in Albuquerque.  I applied to numerous positions without so much as even a call back.  As time ticked by I realized I really only had one option, and risky or not, I had to take the opportunity.

Being an Independent Contractor meant creating my own LLC (Limited Liability Company) and that meant a whole slew of paperwork and ropes to jump through.  It definitely wasn't easy, but it's kind of cool to say I'm the president of my own company.  I'm sure when the time for taxes rolls around next year I'll be singing a different tune, but for now being "President" is just cool.

So fast forward to today. I love being my own boss. I love working from home and I love feeling in control of my life.  No more waking up and dreading the day ahead.  I really enjoy working now because I feel like the work I'm doing matters.  Every hour I work, I get paid.  It's funny how differently that feels than before. Is there still risk involved? Sure. I don't always know what I'm going to work on next, but I've worked on some great projects already - projects I never would've had the opportunity to work on before because I was attached to one project. Now, multiple managers reach out to me for help, which is really wonderful. I feel like I have something to offer and people are seeking me out for that skill.  I just feel... happy, and that's pretty amazing.