Saturday, August 28, 2010

from the "life reset" dept.

"Which way to San Cristobal?"

And so, it begins.

This morning finds me in a completely different situation than yesterday. My gig is over. I'm about to leave Edmonton. And the sky is still firmly fixed above.

I'm reminded of a quote by the Grinch, when he awakens Christmas morning to find that Christmas had arrived despite his best efforts:

It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags!

And sure enough, despite taking a giant leap of faith, a bright new day arrived. I'm healthy, have money in the bank and a new direction in life.

So far so good.

Today will see me leaving Edmonton. I have a one-way bus ticket for Calgary. My ol' pal Dave (from the Halifax chapter of my life) will pick me up and I'll hang at his place in Cochrane for a few days. Then I pick up my rental car for some Prairie and West Coast exploring.

A return to Southwestern Saskatchewan is high on the list, as is a stroll on Chesterman Beach outside Tofino.

Mexico isn't far off. September 25. But with the upcoming buffer, I'll be relaxed and ready to hit the ground running -- or a similar cliche.

I had a nice send off at the office on Friday. A long-term staffer (Ivor the amazing IT guru) was also leaving. Thankfully he took most of the spotlight. Sometimes I like being the centre of attention. Sometimes not. It worked out well.

After finishing the workday I headed to a local watering hole for drinks with my (now former) boss Jessica, the newest member of communications Sarah, and a team of reporters (Min, Faiz & Charles). Plus Dan, the lucky winner of my job.

It was a nice way to end the week and the experience. I also received a nice card from the folks in the newsroom.

At the end of the day, most of the frustration I felt was not about work, but about place. If this gig had been in Vancouver, Halifax or even Calgary, I'd be on board for another year. But Doug and Edmonton are like oil and water. I didn't expect that.

Time to pack and get on that bus... Southern Alberta awaits...

Cheers!

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