Retirement

My last day of work was Friday, June 1, after having told my bosses and coworkers 4 weeks before - which wasn't easy.  


The first two of those four weeks, I continued working hard, numbing myself, keeping my feelings at bay (kinda like I'm doing now).  The third week was slightly more difficult, and senioritis was taking over quickly.  The final week was busy and a little stressful, mostly because I had goodbyes looming over my head, and I hate those and can't relax until it's over.  My coworkers took me to a really nice going-away lunch, where they gave me restaurant gift cards to my fave Mexican food places (woohoo!) and an apron with a map of Texas on it.  It was incredibly nice and generous and I kinda couldn't believe it.  


I was doing ok until Thursday when I had to tell one of my favorite clients goodbye and we both teared up.  Which I'm pretty sure isn't super professional, but...what am I supposed to do?  My whole job was to build relationships with clients.  I can't help it!  I stayed late to finish some notes and then another one of my favorite clients came down with her kids, with a gift for me!  Her kids were dancing around saying "It's a plate!  It's a plate!" and I proceeded to pull a giant plate out of the bag.  It had their hand and feet prints on it, their names and ages, and other artwork all over it, and it said "We'll love you around the world".  I promptly burst into tears, scaring the poor dancing excited red headed cuties.  My client cried and I cried even harder and was finally able to get out that I hoped one day that she could see the person I see, and she's come so far even in 6 months, and how proud I was of her.  And we cried even more.  Sigh.  That was hard.  Really hard.  I was able to write notes to all of my clients and favorite staffers saying what I needed to, and I definitely teared up Friday afternoon telling the boss goodbye, and then...I was gone!  


It's weird not being there.  I miss my clients and kinda feel like the show can't possibly go on without me...when I know it absolutely can.  I also feel fearful that I didn't do something or forgot something that someone will realize and then they'll say bad things behind my back.  But more than that...I just really loved my job.  I felt like I found something I liked and was decent at and was surprisingly passionate about, which I never thought I would or could find before.  I met awesome women and built great relationships with clients and staff alike.  It was a hard job, but at the end of the day, I felt like it was worth it.  I'm so thankful for that.


All of that being said...I'm enjoying my retirement.  Significantly.  The first week off, I went walking with friends at White Rock Lake every day, spent a LOT of time packing, cleaning, organizing, being productive; eating good food, drinking wine every night, seeing friends, seeing coworkers OUTSIDE of work, just generally enjoying myself.  The week after that we went to Florida, this past week I've just been dilly dallying and swimming and running errands with Drew, and I'm now entering my fourth and final week of "summer" - which will be filled with breakfasts, lunches, happy hours, and dinners with various friends and family, and lots of errand-running.  And PACKING.  Which I don't want to talk about or think about.  Overall, I really think this work-free life might be the life for me.  Or maybe just the life for me, right now.  I guess we'll see what happens in Ireland.  For now, I'll try my damndest to enjoy my final week of Dallas summer.