From the Corporate grind to the maize grind?

Working in corporate America has it perks. I get great benefits, paid vacation days, a regular paycheck. My life has stress but stability.While some projects require a lot of extra work; for the most part I go to work, do my job, and come home. I work 40-50 hours a week and then get to do whatever I want in that time in between.

The salary I make affords me a comfortable living with the basics.

But Corporate America has its drawbacks. There is more "red tape" than you could ever imagine, it takes forever to get things done, do more with less seems to be the never ending motto, and don't get on the bad side of a boss. I have endless amounts of paperwork and all those comforts of living require a bill that has to be paid at a certain time each month.

That car that my job affords me requires insurance, and gas, and repairs. That phone costs a good chunk of change each month, and I don't have any fancy plan. And just try living without internet these days!

Freedom is really quite a relative concept. Yes the constitution may grant me freedom of speech, and religion, and the right to bear arms. But try to bring any of that to the workplace? It's a pretty sure way to make yourself unemployed. Business, especially corporate business, is a giant game. A game of persuasion and problem solving. In some cases it is a game of back stabbing and sucking up to the right people. That old adage " it isn't what you know but who you know" still rings true!

The contrast to living in a much simpler manner with no rent, utilities, internet bill, car, or any of the luxuries that clutter our lives here in America sounds pretty appealing right about now. Sure it will be like camping for 2 years but just imagine what a relief it must be to not have to figure out which paycheck will pay each and every bill. The struggles change from hiring problems to the basic human needs of food, clothing, and shelter. The problem solving becomes centered around how to create food security and literacy rather than how to get some developer to like you and make adjustments to the programming.

I'm not saying Zambia will be free of bureaucracy but the change in pace will be a welcome contrast. And the meaning in what I'm doing will be much more rewarding than furthering the profits of a money hungry company. I'm hoping the change from much to little physically will result in a change from little to much intrinsically. Maize grind, here I come!

My desk after returning from a work trip. My team wrapped every little thing on my desk as a prank.

The boss' desk after a business trip. I promise we work those photos just aren't as interesting.

The daily grind.

Back in the cubical days.

The view everyday that I will miss!