Today technically marks the end of my laid-off life. My contract expired with Fox yesterday, which means today is the first day of The Laid-Off Life on a slightly smaller scale. Soon enough I’m sure I’ll be back to work, but until then I will continue to enjoy life and this freedom.

It’s been quite a run! 5 continents, 50 blog posts, so many fun adventures – it’s hard to believe 10 months have come and gone!! I never thought I would still be a lady of leisure, but man am I happy that I took all the time that I had and lived it up. I’ve been so lucky this year – to be able to travel the world the way that I have is something that I will always be grateful for. To live in the moment, and so completely take advantage of the time that I was given – it’s been a gift. Thank you to everyone who, along the way, has encouraged me to write, to travel, to eat, to sleep in, to say yes, to treat myself, and do everything I’ve always wanted to do.

On a walk in Tokyo I saw this mural ‘Now Is Forever,’ just over a month before my contract would end. It so perfectly incapsulates what The Laid-Off Life has taught and reaffirmed for me this year. While the funding of The Laid-Off Life is over for now, the sentiment will live on, and therefore so will the blog. The trick will be eventually returning to work and still remembering to take time for myself, for adventures, for travel…but I’m pretty confident that after these 10 months, I will always be planning my next vacation…even if it’s a year away.