Thirty years of navigating the unpredictable tides of the corporate sea. All the while, tucked away in the innermost chamber of my heart was a sanctuary. A sanctuary filled with unwritten words, untold stories, an entire universe begging to be birthed onto the page.

It was a long haul, one filled with battles and skirmishes. The complexities of co-worker relations, the intricacies of maneuvering around bosses with unpredictable temperaments, and the relentless job requirements that seemed to never cease. I climbed the ladder, not out of a desire for corporate glory, but because each rung brought me closer to my ultimate goal. I wanted a life awash in the hues of creativity. Free from the monochrome confines of the nine-to-five.

Every promotion, every salary increase was a stepping stone. I was trading present discomfort for future freedom. The financial security and the retirement benefits were not just numbers on a spreadsheet. They were a ticket to a life where my days would begin not with conference calls but with the click-clack of a keyboard. I am now weaving worlds out of words.

I was more than just a project manager. I was a dream manager, tending to my aspirations with the same care and meticulous planning I applied to multi-million-dollar projects. I was ethical, not just because the corporate handbook said so, but because integrity would be the cornerstone of my future works. I was caring and inviting, not merely to foster a positive work environment, but because I knew the quality of my soul would eventually echo in the quality of my prose.

I was willing to pay the price of years of corporate stress. But what’s three decades compared to  spending the rest of my life doing what I love? My corporate life was the chrysalis, a necessary confinement that amassed the resources I’d need for my next adventure. Now as I type out my memoirs, undisturbed by emails or deadlines, I realize that every moment was worth it. I’m free to explore the endless landscapes of my imagination. It’s a freedom I’ve earned, and one I cherish every single day.

Jerome Grey, contributing author