One year ago today I was saying my final goodbyes to all my friends. A bouquet of bright yellow flowers sat on the dining room table. Usually when someone left the restaurant, my co-workers would cover the person’s car in saran wrap or attack them with whipped cream at the end of their shift. For me, they all pitched in and got me flowers and a card.
“Good luck in Seattle,” Jeremy wrote. “Don’t kill yourself.” Jeremy and I had come a long way since our first shift together when we were yelling at each other.
“Have fun in Seattle,” wrote Evan, the sixteen-year-old busser who reminded me of Sam. “I’ll visit you in two weeks.”
“You, my dear, are one of a kind,” said Mel, my manager.
“I’m going to miss my Sunshine!” Kelly wrote.
I kept the card, of course, but I’m quoting these from memory. I read it over and over again my first week in Seattle.
In a way it felt crazy to walk away from such an awesome group of people. I was happy there, and I had no guarantee I’d be happy in Seattle. But I knew, deep down, that I needed to push myself beyond the boundaries of my hometown, and home state.
And I’m really, really glad I did.
Author's note: More to come on the big one-year anniversary...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment