Freelance. You spend your early years proving yourself, to yourself. There's ego, there's good day rates, there's the fear of saying no as you figure out your pipeline of work. You do the work, you get lost in it, you take a break before burning out, and then you panic as your pot gold dwindles. However, something always just shows up as the bank account hits zero. There's plenty of time for personal hobbies and travelling the world (at least there was until last year), but there's always an urgency to be more. The cycle continues and quickens, as you work harder and harder... you seem to get stuck in the habit of proving your value, all-while depleting your central reserve (the very thing that makes you valuable). Nevertheless, you master relationships with a few great companies and good people. You work well together, you become a part of the extended family... you work harder, but between the steady gigs and "I've earned this" living, the truth starts to whisper in the dark corners of your mind: "where's this all going?".