My name is Hammond.
6:30 AM
Alarm goes off. I lie there for a bit, checking the news and replying to a couple of messages. One is from Sarah asking if I slept well. I reply with a “more or less” and a smiley. That’s how we text. Straightforward, with just enough effort. I say a quick prayer and make my way to the bathroom.
7:00 AM
Quick shower, shave, and I’m dressed. Navy shirt, grey trousers. Nothing fancy. I make some coffee, eat a banana and toast while standing, and glance over my calendar for the day. First meeting is at 8:30.
7:45 AM
I live just outside the city, so the drive takes about 40 to 50 minutes depending on traffic. I usually listen to a podcast or music. This morning I’m too tired for anything deep, so I leave the radio on.
8:40 AM
At the office. First call of the day is with the Procurement Team. They are finalising parts of a regional agreement and need a quick turnaround. I take notes and agree to draft something by noon.
10:00 AM
Most of my morning is document review. Redlines, clauses, emails. It is not glamorous, but it is the core of the job. One of the juniors messages me to check a clause in a client memo. I reply and say I will take a look later.
12:15 PM
Lunch from the café downstairs. Chicken wrap and water. I eat at my desk. It is quiet today. I go through some internal emails while I eat, then join a short update call with one of the partners.
1:00 PM
Client deadline is coming up, so I focus on revisions and get the draft out by 2:30. Then I circle back to the junior’s memo. It needs some work, but the structure is there. I add a few comments and send it back.
3:30 PM
Another internal call. Mostly business strategy. I listen, speak when I need to, but by now I am ready to wind down. I check the time more often. My inbox is clearing up, so I respond to a few pending emails.
4:45 PM
I glance over the last contract on my desk and decide it can wait until
tomorrow. I log my time. I check my phone and see a message from Sarah asking what time I’ll be done. I tell her I am heading out soon. We try to meet once or twice during the week. She lives across the city, so it takes planning.
5:15 PM
Leave the office. The drive back is slow. I stop at the supermarket to grab something for the fridge. Just the usual. Eggs, yogurt, fruits, maybe some soup for tomorrow.
6:30 PM
Back home. I will change, heat something up, then head over to Sarah’s if I am still up for it. Sometimes I cancel last minute. Sometimes she does. It is not perfect, but we are not in a rush.
I usually spend the evenings watching a movie or scrolling away on social media. I sometimes call my parents back home when I get the urge to. And though I try not to, some evenings are spent at my desk, reading and making revisions. Most Fridays, I make use of my gym membership after I convince myself to go lift some weights. Since moving to this city, I don’t have many friends and I really like to keep it that way.
My life is not particularly exciting right now, and most days feel pretty similar. But I am doing my best. Showing up, getting the work done, saving a little, and making space for the people who matter. It is not flashy, but it is steady. And honestly, I am hopeful. I do not know exactly what the future holds, but I think it will be good.