After hearing gossip from work and rumours amongst friends, I thought I might as well explicitly state why I have chosen to take a leave of absence from work.
Firstly, it was my choice. It was not something that was pushed on to me by anyone. It was not an alternative to being fired. That is a load of utter rubbish and anyone who knows me, knows that. Those kinds of rumours might be wishful thinking on the part of people who won't miss having me around. Sorry to disappoint :)
2009 has been a year of downs and downs and downs but it is finally looking up.
My marriage ended after 11.5 years together. I didn't cope well with that. I'm coping better now.
It was time to slow my life down and actually work out who the hell I am as a person, on my own. I have a pretty good idea and am heading in the right direction now.
It was time to stop trying to juggle the stresses of life, work and health and stop letting others and myself down. I'm prioritising health now. Connecting with my good friends and my lovely family is a close second.
Life has been moving at one hundred miles an hour since I left university, or even before that. It's not time to go out with a bang. Burning out is not taken seriously in our industry. It's simply time to breathe and find my stride again.
After such a long time, I am happy again :)