I was scared when I left the company with no job in my pocket. But I was also relieved and happy that I didn't have to deal with the toxic environment. I booked a flight right away to Bali and spent a solid, relaxing, and expensive week: think overpriced latte, constant happy hour, mouth-watering foods, day drinking, a lavish high tea, and shopping. I was so immersed, I really didn't think of the trip expense and just splurged my money on the experience. I also got to see some of my good friends, and that's priceless. I went to the Gilis after Bali. Stayed in a resort, cycled the whole island, and went to Koeta and Mataram too before flying back to Jakarta. It was everything that I needed, and I felt like I deserved that after all.

That trip marked the start of my post-corporate chapter (officially), and I still don't have a full-time job. I managed to establish myself as a freelance translator, and I'm enjoying it. It's new. I definitely need time to adjust, but the pay is good, the job is mostly easy, and it's pretty flexible too. It's not as stable as a full-time job, but hey, what is stable? Honestly, what is it? In this economy, everything is uncertain. You could dedicate your whole life to a role in a major company, but next thing you know, you get fired.

I call it funemployment, which is just unemployment, but with better cocktails and no corporate Slack messages at 11 p.m. I wake up every day without that annoying alarm sound. I can take as long as I want to stay in bed with no pressure and have my breakfast after that. I'd usually hit the gym, then by the time I go home, it's almost lunchtime. I'd take a shower, lounge, and read my book (been into historical fiction lately). By the time I finish my lunch, it's usually after midday, and that's when I usually start working, if at all. Sometimes I'd just stay at home, and sometimes I'd go on my hunt to find a good cafe. With no such high pressure, I'd sometimes go somewhere and just explore, or take a dip in the pool. Oh, the joy of taking a nap without guilt, and doing weekday activities while everyone else is stuck in meetings. Funemployment tastes like overpriced croissants you eat slowly while pretending you have a personal photographer following you around.

There's this one quote from an Indonesian novel that resonates with me.

"Hanya jadi manusia bebas. Pemecatan ini akan aku anggap sebagai karunia"

It translates to "I just wanna be a free human being. This dismissal is a gift". In a way, I felt like it was meant to happen. I was not happy with my job, and I kept telling my friends that I'd rather get laid off and get the severance check. Do you know my instant reaction when HR offered me the package? I smiled. Big time. I was so happy for some reason and was laughing when I told my friends about it. It was something that I celebrated.