Fare Thee Well to Corporate America

At long last, 16+ years later to be exact, I bid my company “So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good night."

I must mention:  the choice was not mine.  My company had been in a downward spiral for many of those 16 years and when a major company transition took place in October, I saw the writing on the wall. 

I was fortunate enough to get several weeks notice, wereas other people in my company were laid off the week before December without any notice.  That same week, I learned I likely would not be employed past February ... and as January progressed, I learned my final day with the company was January 31st. 

I am amused as I look back 16+ years.  When I started with the company, my life was so very different:  I wasn't married (in fact, I was winding down a relationship with a guy who was absolutely no good for me), didn't have kids, I was in college. 

16+ years.  That is a long time to be with one company.  I got three college degrees in that time.  I met my husband ... got married ... had two children, built two homes.  Moved from Albuquerque to Santa Fe to the Phoenix area. 

Many times, I worked long, stressful hours.  I had an annual project that I despised many years ... which brought me to tears many years.  Each year, when in the thick of that project, I vowed I wouldn't be working for that company when the project came around the following year.   And yet, I was still there each year, the recipient of that project.   If you had told me last year that it would be my final year doing that project, I would have laughed (and then thought, "ooh, really???"