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I have a degree in Psychology, and spent several years working in a psychiatric hospital. The mentally ill are sick no matter what the calendar says, and there’s always a need for staffing. This meant that I was mandated to work at least one day out of every set of holidays – Thanksgiving day or Black Friday, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day – you get the idea. Either I worked on location or from home on call, but regardless, my holiday was pretty well ruined. Holidays were exhausting, and I spent the majority of my time wishing I could be at home with my family.

The Christmas of 2006, however, life changed dramatically. I had just had a baby in September, and was struggling to hold it all together at work. I was literally hanging on by a thread. Christmas Eve, my mother was killed in a car accident, and that thread snapped. I spent the next few weeks taking care of arrangements, making plans, and reevaluating my life choices. I took two weeks off work. When I returned, my heart just wasn’t in it. Eventually, they let me go for lack of focus – with good reason. I was completely unable to focus on anything except how badly I wanted to be home with my family.

I opened my own business that July, and never looked back. I was able to spend time at home with my little girl and earn an income at the same time – something I had never dreamed was even a possibility. With the help of my trusty laptop, I was able to attend my family’s Fourth of July celebration, spend time with far-flung loved ones, and submit my articles and earn an income – all at the same time! This was the first time I truly experienced the freedom that comes with working from home.