Last Day at Work

December 23^rd . My last day of work. Christmas’ Eve is tomorrow, next Tuesday is New Year’s Eve and then 15 days afterward, I will board my plane. Another 30 hours, give or take, will have me landing in Melbourne, Australia.

I will be counting the next few weeks in terms of appointments and milestones as I rush to put together everything I need to leave with peace of mind.

I take a few minutes now to reflect on today as it was a strange day for me. I worked a bit and I packed a bit. Even though I will come back here in a year, I have to vacate my office for now.

Now, if I look over my shoulder I can see three piles which summarize my work life of the last few years. The first box contains things that have made this office mine. Next are two full bins of paper left to be recycled after shredding what seems to be an endless stack of documents. This really made me realize just how much paper clutter had crawled into my life. Finally, the last box contains my ergonomic equipment. This will go into storage until I come back next year.

The last few weeks have been hectic and it didn’t feel like Holidays at work. As I’m writing this, my day is almost over. I will close a few files and send an email to my colleagues. Then, I will log off my computer for the last time this year, grab my box of belongings and head home.

Not long ago I was mentioning how my last meeting with the board had made my traveling plans much more tangible for me. Well today if feel like I’m turning yet another page. I would say half of what I am feeling right now is exhilaration at the freedom ahead of me and the other half is sort of a bitter sweet feeling akin to nostalgia.

I had expected my last day to be similar to when I was back in high school on the last day before summer vacation. Surprisingly, it wasn't. Don't get me wrong, I am excited for sure, but I am starting to see that I have grown comfortable in my routine. I suppose it's a sign that I am slowly heading to another stage of my life. However, I am still thankful for this opportunity to shake things up a little. I'm not quite ready to settle down yet.