Friday was difficult.
My memory of the day is kind of a blur because I started getting sick Thursday night. Friday I was just trying to make it through without passing out sometimes.
I spent the morning just trying to catch up on what needed to be caught up on, though I had a meeting with my boss in there, too, and a few people came by to say goodbye.
I got taken out to lunch with 6 of my co-workers. We went to TGIFridays. The service was slow, the food was cold and the waitress was surly. Ah well.
That afternoon was another blur. Another meeting with my boss, then the exit interview where I signed a bunch of papers and spoke my mind on the company, on the record, about what I loved and what needed to be improved, and what I felt they were doing blatantly wrong. There was nothing scathing, but a few things that felt good to be honest about that I’d kept to myself for a long time. And, I cried, because that place has been a part of my life for 11.5 years and it is a little hard to let go, especially when I’ve been mostly happy there.
Back to my office and I’d missed saying goodbye to Matt, which made me sad. Sent out a goodbye email, got a lot of lovely replies and a few more people came by to say goodbye and give me hugs.
Including the CEO.
I spoke honestly to him then, too, but generally positively. Made sure he understood my reasons for leaving, made sure he knew that I really liked both my boss and the CIO, who are by bosses (other than him obviously). He told me that it stung that I’m leaving but he understands. There may have been a tear or two and I swear his eyes got watery too.
One last meeting with my boss and they decided to ask me to stay on to consult when necessary. I got the low end of what I wanted, but it was still more than my normal rate of my salary after taxes. Back to Dean’s to fill out consultant paperwork, back to my office to finish cleaning it out, and I left by 6pm.
I’ll be back now and then for the next few weeks so it wasn’t really truly goodbye but it was much more goodbye than it’s ever been before.
At the same time, I’m excited. Honestly I was more excited than sad, but the sad was there since it’s a very long chapter in my life closing.
But, as my current boss is so fond of saying, onward and upwards. I’m gonna miss that guy.