After three nail-biting weeks of impatient waiting I was informed that my application for a voluntary separation (i.e. redundancy) was approved yesterday. Instead of a July 1 leaving date I am staying until October 11. This means I will work through Term 2. The selfish part of me really wanted to be selfish and say I wouldn’t stay a moment longer than July 1. But, the part of me that knows just how much I have gained from my years at CQUniversity could not up and leave in the space of a couple of weeks, knowing that it would leave some of my dearest, most wonderful colleagues and friends in a giant jam with Term 2 approaching. This way, I don’t feel guilty and am leaving on good terms. I wasn’t going to be leaving on bad terms anyway but I would have felt guilty and that doesn’t sit well with me.

I have started to tell people even though it doesn’t seem quite real. Their first question is always “What are you going to do?”.

Here are my answers:

1. Nothing

2. Finish my study and teach the piano

3. Get a life

4. See what happens next.

The truth is that at the moment my plan is a hazy combination of answers 1 through 4. This afternoon I’m starting early with no. 1.