It's Official

Today I turned in my resignation from a great company that I have been with for over 6 years and has given my opportunities I never imagined which have literally changed my life in every way. 

I love to think back to moments in time that changed the course of your life without even realizing it. Six and a half years ago, I had a very dear friend who was going through a very hard time.  I was working at Target at the time and I was pretty unhappy sporting the red and khaki everyday, especially on the weekends. After I got off of work one night at about 11pm I decided to stop by said friends house to see how she was doing.  Another one of our mutual friends was there, who I hadn't  really seen in a couple of years. I was moaning about how terrible unloading freight trucks at 4 am was whilst being forced to wear red and khaki and this friend mentioned that she had just gotten a new job, they were hiring and she would try and get me an interview. I asked what she did. She said that she messed with numbers on spreadsheets. Easy enough.  Plus, I would get to work with fun, young people. Plus, I wouldn't have to unload trucks at 4 am. Plus, I got to sit. All day. Plus, I got lunches catered. Plus, they wanted to pay me way more. Plus, I didn't have to work weekends. Plus, not only did I not have to wear red and khaki, but I could wear whatever I wanted. Even pajamas. You get the point. 
Since that day six and a half years ago, my job has seen me form amazing friendships, travel all over the US on an expense account and pay me to move to London.  A city I have wanted to live in since I first came in 2003. I pretty much hit the jackpot. Sometimes I don't know how I got so lucky.  I have never been one of those 'charmed' people. You know the type, the ones who always get what they want or didn't even know they wanted. The ones who coast through life with no clue what life is really like for 'the rest of us'.  But these last couple of years I have had to literally pinch myself because I can't believe how freaking awesome my life is, for me.  I know I haven't always chosen the most 'traditional' path, but I have stumbled along, down a path that is perfect for me.

When I moved to London, I didn't know what to expect. I did expect that two years would be forever and I'd be on a plane home exactly two years later when my contract was up.  I wasn't worried about meeting people or having people to do things with. But I had absolutely no idea that I would meet people here who would be friends for the rest of my life.  It is cliche to say that when you are away from your family, that your friends are your family. But it couldn't be more true. You spend holidays, birthdays, sick days, bad days and good days with these people and they become something more than just your friends. 

So it is for those reasons, and so many more, why I am so desperately sad to leave London.  I love everything about this city other than it's proximity to my family and maybe it's lack of good Mexican food, but even that has become bearable. But after several years of saving, planning and dreaming; an idea that was planted in my head on my first trip to Africa back in 2008 by two Aussie backpackers on their gap year, will now become my reality. I'll be leaving London on March 5th, headed to Texas for family time, a wedding, the birth of my 3rd neice and then, sometime in April, I'll head down to South America and make my way East until I end up back in Texas sometime the following year. I'm pretty sure my parents are horrified, but they are doing a good job of being supportive, as they always are.  After the 'incident' last year in India where I went 'off the grid' for three days, I know this next year will be torture for them. Sorry parentals.

So here's to my last 5 weeks in London.  I'm going to try and blogercise a little more because I want to remember what these last weeks in my city feel like.