Winds of Change

Today I left the job I have held for 24 1/2 years.  It was a bittersweet feeling.  I love and respect the people I have worked with all of these years...I will miss them!  Today I had a last day at work, a last patient a CCMH, a last Middle Eastern dance rehearsal.  Saturday will be a last International Festival.  There have been a lot of lasts.  I am looking forward to starting the new firsts!

Christine x

BANZAI!!!

I've always liked the word banzai!  It is such an enthusiastic word.  In fact it is the Japanese word to cheer or for patriotic enthusiasm.  During WWII it was the Japanese battle cry.  Literally translated it means "may you live 10,000 years".  I like that meaning!  I was telling a friend once that there are occasions when you just have to take a deep breath, close your eyes, and make the leap.  Banzai is a good word to shout at this point!!! I have discovered I cannot always just wait and be certain of an outcome before I take a risk or make a change.  I would rather yell "BANZAI" and find out what good things happen...I expect them to happen...but if they don't then a lesson is learned and I will know not to do that again :) Since no one really gets to live 10,000 years these days I have a lot of work to do to get that much living in before I go!

Found out yesterday I will have to endure a "presentation" retirement fete.  Jeez...I told them I didn't want one but my boss says I'm getting one whether or not I want it....  Well....it's good to get kudos and well wishes when embarking on a great adventure!

Three weeks till departure!

Christine x

Three Weeks and Four Days

My tickets and flight info should show up pretty soon.  My sister and my friend, Judy Chapman, gave me a Kindle as a going away gift.  I have wanted one for a long time and it has been fun loading it!  Still a few things left to do but nothing stressful.  Just five more days to work and I'll be retired....WOW...never thought I would make it!!  My British friends included me in the next Scrabble game on line....Frankie was very nice and said it would help me get settled in the desert (?).  I would really miss my game buddies!!

It won't be easy being so far from family and friends.  I have never taken the easy path to anything however so this is nothing new. I do like to challenge myself...stretch my physical and mental muscles! I like the feeling of strength! My hope is to have great, new, eye opening (and maybe eye popping) experiences that will influence me to become a better person and that will be good things to share with the people I love.  I am grateful for technology that will help me stay in touch with everyone!

Christine x

Getting Closer

I have 8 more shifts at work. My co-workers and friends have already started "I'm going to really miss you". That is really nice to know!! It's way better than "thank goodness she's finally gone"! However I think it will be hard to hear this everyday I work for the next three weeks.

Really looking forward to seeing Michael around the 20th. Matthew and Michael will be driving me to the airport to see me off!

I have this feeling that I can only describe as the feeling I get when on a roller coaster and I can see the peak before the next full speed drop....very exhilarating!!

No turning back now....and I wouldn't want to. I feel like I am really living my life again!!

Chris x