Last day....

Today is my last day... in DC and at my office.

It feels very bittersweet.  I am so excited to head out to Chicago, start a new job and finally get to restart my life.  But I am really going to miss the people I have met in DC and many of my coworkers in my office.

Yesterday was Sara's last day in the office for the week, so she came by to say good bye before she left.  To be honest, I'm glad she's not here today because it would be harder.  I'm also thankful that Mel is not in the office.  It's much easier to leave knowing that the people I'm closest to don't have to do the difficult goodbye today.

I know my boss is on a mission today to make me cry.  He's already sending me emails about what the office will miss in my absence.  Today, we are going to lunch (with a handful of other colleagues).  Today, my "office husband" as I often jokingly call him, will be parking himself and his laptop in my office so he can get a full 9 hours of unbridled harassment in.  I wouldn't have expected anything less.

As I write this now (at 7:15am), it still doesn't really feel like my last day.  But I know that will change as the hours get later in the day.  I'm already removed my access cards and keys from my key rings.  I turned in my company credit card two days ago.  But it doesn't really feel real.

Then again, neither does that fact that when I leave DC tomorrow morning, who knows when I will be coming back.  And most likely, if I do make a return it will not be to my house.  The house that I have owned for three years.

I spent more time at my company than I ever expected to (this was not the first time - or the second time - that I looked for another job during my 6 years here).  Six years at one company seems to be a long time for someone my age in today's economy.

Today will be difficult for me, but I find a bit of comfort knowing that those that I am close to will still have opportunities to visit and that we will stay in touch.