I fly tomorrow afternoon. My focus in the last week or two turned towards execution. It was really worthwhile spending all that time earlier thinking and sorting out my thoughts. I did not at any point in the last 2 weeks feel like there was something I have not reconciled; anyone I have not said a proper goodbye to or told what they meant to me or promised to stay in touch with. I did not have any paperwork I had not planned for or even any last minute shopping I haven't done. I even told my bosses what I thought of them (in a nice way of course). I could really just focus on execution.
I handed over at work. Then came the farewell lunches, farewell chats, my last day at work. Last pub lunch at Davy's with the team. My farewell gift presentation.
I packed up my stuff at work, packed up my home (over a 20 hour non-stop marathon session. Moved out, organised waste disposals; redirected mail; paid up last bills; goodbye to the neighbours; organised charitable donations of my belongings; got the cleaners in; organised last drinks with friends.
The emotions were all bearable as I have already felt them and dealt with them about 2 weeks prior, if not earlier.
Some statistics:
Farewell do's = 9
Farewell gifts = 3
Speeches given/ heard = 4
Public display of waterworks = 1
People invited to farewell parties = 32
Bottles of wine consumed = 16
Cocktails and whiskeys: 18
Bottles of beer consumed: 34
Pictures taken: countless
Trips on foot to Oxfam, Cancer Research UK charity shops = 6
Bin bags of rubbish brought by hand to the bin store: 35
Bin dives = 1
Boxes shipped: 59
Mail rediections: 18
Accounts closed: 7
External hard disks purchased = 3
External hard disk returned = 1
New friend made = 1
Trips to Peter Jones = 4
Trips to John Lewis = about 20
Emotional ice-creams eaten = 8
Best memory = surprise dinner AND farewell gift AND farewell presentation organized by my best friend at work
Most unexpected friends made = 2
Most important realisation = how people actually DO like me very much
Most important realisation 2 = emotions and instinct can be two different things
Most important realisation 3 = God speaks volumes over the pulpit
Most important realisation 4 = it was not easy to change jobs and move countries all at once by myself but equally, being vulnerable gave me a chance to realize how gracious people can be, e.g. my landlord and my cleaner.
Most important realisation 5 = it can only get better!
Most touching effort = friend driving 1.5 hours to deliver a gift.
Most generous gift = farewell party paid for by the boss.
Most important realisation 6 = God is generally specific and specifically general
Most important realisation 7 = This will always be my home.
I am ready to go.
