Over a year ago, I left my part-time job to go full-time freelance, envisioning the rest of my working days spent writing in coffee shops and stretchy yoga pants, taking spontaneous mid-afternoon breaks to go rollerblading or stroll the seawall. Just because I CAN!
And largely, that’s exactly what I do. I traded a regular paycheque for at least two more hours a day in pyjamas. I gave up health benefits for the option of working at the beach in the middle of the afternoon. On a Tuesday! And I don’t regret it (well, except when I have to get my teeth cleaned). I don’t miss the office politics, the water cooler talk, or the dress code (which I never really paid attention to anyway. I always figured that if I managed to look just slightly more put-together than the scruffiest employee, I would be safe. However, this usually turned out to be the on-call caretaker).
There is, however, one thing I miss about having a “real” job. The Christmas party. Those festive few hours during which everyone consumes too much food and drink on the company dime, and you find yourself telling your deepest, darkest secrets to Doris from Accounts Payable, who is now your best friend (why didn’t you notice Doris before? She’s a bloody riot!).
So this year, I came up with an idea. The Freelancer’s Holiday Party. In which all of us who file our taxes as small businesses get to party like we’re still chained to cubicles.
The problem was, P and I don’t know many freelancers in town. But thankfully, the incredibly awesome science writer Anne Casselman does. And I’ve been lucky enough to have had a few lattes with the girl wonder lately. So Anne has taken the reins on our project, and in the next week I should have some exciting details on the first annual Vancouver Freelancer’s Festive Par-tay.
Cue the cheesy holiday tunes! Haul out the holly and the stale no-name Toblerone! Tis the season!
