Today was my last day working for web.unc.edu. I told my co-workers there that my time working there felt more like college to me than anything else I experienced. By college, I mean that I learned so much and grew into a mature and knowledgable person that felt confident training people, taking the lead, writing documentation, etc. I believe in myself thanks to the millions of mistakes I made and learned from. I jump at the chance to help and truly value the relationships I have built with users of web.unc.edu. It is hard to say that this will be my last day. I secretly still think I’ll try to contribute to the support forums if I can 🙂 (although I think my access will be denied).
What’s next? Sannnnn Frannnnciscooooo. This week has been insane. I packed up all my stuff last Saturday, drove 10 hours home on Sunday, and worked 40 hours this week while also balancing hanging out with friends, family, and wrapping up some side project work. Oh and repacking to i can move to San Francisco to start work on Monday. What a wonderful whirlwind! It’s funny because 4 years ago, I think this would have overwhelmed and paralyzed me. Now, I thrive and run with it. My moments of doubt and fear turn into moments of me thinking how I can help to improve the company I will soon work for. My moments of worry about money and time and distance turn into moments of appreciation for those in my life and how lucky I am to love so many.
It is strange to be able to truly look back on college. Memories of long rugby practices and hours in the gym combined with late nights learning to code and writing documentation… all the while trying to study. I truly loved every aspect of my life. Whether it was reading the assigned book for class despite the fact majority of the kids probably didnt or writing that extra support document on shortcodes just because I knew it would be helpful to that one professor who always writes in our support forum, I threw myself into it. I will miss that time but, more than anything, college just made me excited for what could be in terms of who I am as a person and where I am going.
I am so humbled by how many people helped me along the way. That is what is truly incredible to me. How many do you stop and help along the way? I don’t think we do that enough. I wanted to learn and was given steps all along the way to do so and to make mistakes.
Tomorrow at this time I will be curled up in bed in San Francisco. My new start. My new home. Strange, huh? You know these big moments are coming and yet here you are: the same person. You can’t speed things up or slow things down. You have to let them be and unfold. I can’t wait to see what this journey has in store for me and what I end up learning. What excites me the most is the opportunity to learn and the opportunity to explore. I am so young and I have so much I want to do and so much love I want to give out. How will my life look there? Only time will tell.
You know when you dream of something happening and then it happens? I dreamed of moving to San Francisco for the last year and tomorrow it is happening. It pains me to say goodbye to so many I love and to move so far away but this quote sums it up nicely:
“I will love you if I never see you again, and I will love you if I see you every Tuesday.” -Lemony Snicket
I will never stop loving and I will never stop spreading the love where I land. Exciting times ahead full of mistakes, hardwork, successes, learning…. LIFE. Bring it on!
agm 