Phew - Glad that's over

Well I did it ... I spoke to my boss and gave in my letter of intent for a 12 month Leave of Absence. Gulp!

It was an interesting day. I, of course, had not slept much the night before. Too many scenarios rolling through my sleep deprived mind about getting thrown out of the office on my tush for even having uttered the words "Leave of Absence".

My calendar had started out pretty empty, but began to fill up with meetings and calls. I managed to pass the time without freaking out too much. I had my files in order, I had my cheat sheet of notes to help me direct the conversation, I had my conviction.

By late afternoon, I have just one more meeting to get through. I have no idea what was discussed in that meeting, if I had any action items to follow up on, or if they were asking me to stand on my head and spit nickels. I was so checked out I am surprised I managed to stay sitting up right in my chair. I dashed out early to collect my documentation and have one last bathroom pit stop.

My boss was caught completely off guard, but he was a real trooper. He didn't hesitate or get side tracked with my somewhat wet delivery of the news. He patiently waited until I got through all my notes and description. He waited while I pulled myself together. He even waited while I whipped out the HR documentation to show that I wasn't making any of this up. He simply said that he would do whatever he could to see this through and that he understood my need to regain a sense of balance in my life. Wow - in all my scenarios I didn't see this going as well as it did. I was really grateful for all the preparation I had done to position my request, but in the end it was so much easier than I thought. And such a weight off my shoulders. Phew!!!