Here we go!

Short blog here while I break from packing.  I've been really learning a lot from this packing process.  Mainly I've been learning to let go of things.  Maybe a full blog on that later...

Friday was my last day at work.  It was nice.  I really didn't have much to do.  Honestly, I didn't have a whole lot to do the last two weeks.  Friday I just cleared off my work laptop and reformatted the hard drive.  Around lunch time we had a little luncheon for me.  I really don't like being the center of attention, but it was really nice that everyone cared.  And the food was good.  So was the giant cake that they had made for me!  It was a very strange day though.  I really didn't think that it would be so difficult leaving.  I've worked for this company since I was a freshman in college in 2002.  I took summers off for camp, and one fall semester to work at camp too.  But it's been just shy of 10 years now.  That's a lot of time!  I found myself lingering a little by the end, part of me not wanting to say goodbye.  Another part of me wanted to find an opportunity to sneak away when no one was looking.  Friday night was another amazing time.  I've been spending many of my Friday nights with my dear friends the Atkins from church.  They host a dinner for people from church to come to and fellowship.  I've gotten to know many people from these dinners.  Friday night they also brought me a cake and sent me off in love and blessings.

Work was kind enough to allow me to keep my phone and car over the weekend.  I had to get to Dave Gyza's BBQ somehow!  :)  Today, I drove into work to drop off these two things.  Everyone was in a meeting (one that was going to go for at least 2 hours).  It was kind of a funny feeling to not be sitting in on that meeting.  One one hand it was awesome to see everyone carrying on work.  I'm not sure why that mattered to me.  I never expected the whole business to stop because I was gone.  But for some reason that I don't yet understand, it was oddly comforting to see everyone carrying on.  On my way to the office Jay from camp called.  He's the guy coming to pick me up (since I have no wheels now).  Somehow things got mixed up.  I thought he was coming tomorrow and he thought it was today.  We agreed that today would work and he will be here in the next few hours.  And by tonight I will be back up at camp looking at a start filled sky.  Maybe I'll camp out tonight.  Maybe I'll crash a lean-to site.  Maybe I'll just crash a spare bedroom there.  I don't know.  But I know that tomorrow I will be slowly taking over the conference room in the camp office as my new summer office (the chairs are more comfortable in there).  This weekend starts this job off with a father/son weekend group.

So many more things happened the past few days that have really blessed and encouraged me.  I have a lot of amazing friends and family in West Chester.  I have an amazing family in Reading and another in the Lehigh Valley.  I'm looking forward to seeing both this summer.  I'm looking forward to Skype calls while I'm in Kenya.  I'm looking forward to my friend being home from CA and visiting with her this summer too!  There are so many things I'm excited for.  I'm especially excited to begin this new journey.

So, here we go.  No turning back now.  My stuff is almost all packed and I'm about to be heading out.  So West Chester:  It's been a pretty sweet better part of a decade.  I've grown a lot here.  But for now, it's goodbye to West Chester.  I'll see you in about 7 months to a year.