![](https://media.giphy.com/media/fPkWsBe1wWPtu/giphy.gif) For better, or for worse, we measure our lives with numbers. I’m 46 years old. I've identified my dream of being a writer about 24 years ago and have daydreamed about writing full-time ever since. For the past 22 years and 2 months my dreams of freedom swirled about in my head while I worked away as a project manager/forms designer in a cubicle for a local insurance company. All that time I wrote books, poetry, magazine articles, and blogs in my spare time trying my best to envision what the freedom of making a living at my passion would feel like. ![](https://s26.postimg.org/58wk1beqx/IMG_1710.jpg) *The building I work in is to the left.* The lot I park in for work is almost exactly 1 mile away from my employer’s building. Through the heat of summer and the brutal cold of the Minnesota winters, I’ve walked roughly 15,000 miles back and forth to my car in those 22 years and 2 months. To put things into perspective, [15,000 miles is the equivalent of 2.5 times the length of the Great Wall of China, 4 times the length of the Amazon River, and 5.5 times the distance between New York and Los Angeles.](http://www.bluebulbprojects.com/measureofthings/results.php?comp=distance&unit=mi&amt=15000&sort=pr&p=1) So many ideas for my fiction and articles were born on those walks. ![](https://s26.postimg.org/sj5nzvkvd/IMG_1715.jpg) *The view from the parking lot.* The buildings in downtown St. Paul are connected by a system of skyways, so you can navigate the city without having to expose yourself to the harsh winter elements. On my lunches and my breaks I would walk through the skyways and think of ideas for short stories, novels, and poetry. ![](https://s26.postimg.org/62dr7oa5l/IMG_1707.jpg) *Part of the skyway system.* I likely would’ve lived the next twenty years of my life this way...daydreaming, if it wasn’t for one amazing stroke of luck. On July 5th, 2016 I joined Steemit. It took exactly 1 year, 3 months, and 18 days of writing on Steemit before I handed in my notice. ![](https://s26.postimg.org/6dv7kfqll/IMG_1705.jpg) ## I’m thrilled to announce that, as of 4:15pm on October 13, 2017, my new life as a full-time writer begins!! ## --- So, getting back to my original question…**What Does Freedom Feel Like?** In a way, it feels like graduating. I feel 90% elated, 10% scared out of my mind. This next phase of my life will take some adjusting to and will still require extremely hard work. I kind of feel like Andy Dufresne from A Shawshank Redemption. After existing so many years within such a tightly structured corporate system, freedom will take some getting used to. I promise it will never be taken for granted. I’ll be getting up every weekday morning with an alarm and planning my day to get as much done as I can. For the foreseeable future, my day will be filled with duties surrounding the HardFork Film Series, writing/curating much more on Steemit, and learning more about cyrptocurrency. Where will this journey of life take me from here? I guess time will tell. One thing I’m sure of, from the look on his face, Amstel is happy that I'll be home with him all day! ![](https://s26.postimg.org/7qcwmbo15/IMG_1728.jpg) ## Thank you Steemit, and thank you all for your ongoing support of my work! Remember, if I can do this, you can too. Write about what excites you. I'm living proof...Steemit makes dreams come true! ## (Gif compliments of Giphy.com.) ## Please follow our official Steemit account for the film series **@hardfork-series**. We are thrilled to announce we'll be debuting the HardFork Film Series *Teaser Trailer* at [SteemFest2](https://steemit.com/steemfest/@roelandp/steemfest-updates-new-names-announced-venue-spotlight-conference-day-2-montes-claros-lisbon-secret-spot) in Lisbon! Hope to see you there! ## ![](https://s14.postimg.org/llrwmq9g1/fancyline600png1.png) [![alt text](https://s18.postimg.org/vkrxp2zwp/unnamed.jpg)](https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Pause-Meditating-Your-Ultimate-ebook/dp/B071X5TD4P/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8) *I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at [my website.](http://www.ericvancewalton.net) Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared. My new book on meditation, [The Perfect Pause,](https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Pause-Meditating-Your-Ultimate/dp/154708295X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8) has been discounted to $12.99 (paperback) and $4.99 (eBook) for a limited time. 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