Truthfully...

I don't know if I know how to blog anymore. The past week has left me so.......and words fail me. So...I'll try starting from where I'm at.
I arrived back in New Bern at 5 something pm this evening. I've been awake since 2:45am. And before that I had 2 hours of sleep following a very full day. It's good to be home. The past week was a complete WHIRLWIND of chaos. But the fun kind. I ASSURE you the fun kind.
I found myself almost entirely cut off from the rest of the world around me aside from the task I had at hand: training my replacement. I would check my phone after work and find missed calls and messages from HOURS before. Oops...sorry guys.
I met Bradford on Monday morning and within about...hmm...15 seconds, I knew we were going to be good friends. And I also knew mywedding.com had done it again. They had hired an awesome personality to add to their collection. Training was not at all what I expected. And I believe Bradford, "the new guy," found it equally surprising. I found myself guffawing loudly, finishing his sentences and generally feeling as if I had known this person for years. That, friends, is one of my favorite things in the world. I also found myself truly impressed with how much I know about what I do. I have my moments of cluelessness (don't we all) but I felt confident knowing that I would be thoroughly preparing my replacement to fill my shoes by providing him with as many tools as possible. Of course the week we had to train didn't feel long enough...but I know he's going to do awesome.
Now I'm at that point where I feel like nothing has changed. Bradford is just a new employee. I am just working from home still. But things HAVE changed. It just hasn't sunk in fully yet. I do have that deep-down twinge of sadness knowing that my days with this company are numbered and my last day in the office is already gone. But at the same time...I feel happy. Happy knowing that I WILL keep in touch with these people because they're more than just people I worked with now. They're friends. And relatives. And siblings.
A few work highlights of my week that I will never forget: Almonzo DeBenedictis. Being told I was like a little sister and feeling like that role fit perfectly. Seeing and hugging as many people as possible...as many times as possible. Laughing extremely loudly while training only to realize one of the co-founders of the company is working across the hall...and wondering if everyone in the office believes we're getting zero work done. Coffee runs. Lots of coffee runs. Renting my first car. Heck, taking my first "business trip." Leaving a reminder/legacy of myself behind...no matter how silly. Crispy parcels. Mmmmmmm. Drinking with coworkers...and realizing they're now just friends. And that's even better.
I love you all (all two of you that will read this) and have adored working for this company and getting to know and love everyone. I will always think of these people as family.
Staying at my cousins' house made life at least 70% less stressful. It wasn't even anything they did (although they did do a lot for me, from feeding me to sharing wisdom and providing a listening ear as well as endless stomach aches from laughing so hard) but was more their overall presence and the peace that comes with staying at their house. I'm sure my aunt would laugh out loud if she read that, most likely thinking I've finally lost it if I think her house is peaceful. This is a family of four kids who are now all over the age of 14 (crazy!...growing up too fast) so their house is generally very busy and on the go. It's always been that way. But I think that's what I love about this family: their energy. I always feel motivated around them. And the rare chance to spend time with ALL of my cousins in that family made the time much more memorable. Especially since they feel like my sisters and brother, not my cousins.
Although I was in a constant state of sleep-deprivation and stress this entire week, I came away from that house (the one I know SO well) feeling SO happy that I had had the chance to be there at all.
Does that cover everything? No. Does that satisfy my desire to get my thoughts out before they're muddled together in a blurry mess of jetlag and general sleepiness? A little. Will I write more? It's possible. But not tonight. Which brings me to the annoying realization that yes...I'm still awake...it's 11pm...and I feel wired...like I'm exhausted but if I tried sleeping, I'd just lay there. So...I'm seeing visions of ice cream dance through my head and searching through Netflix to see what's available to watch instantly. Until next time...

Funny moment with my mom that made me laugh: On our way home from the airport when I first arrived, we had just gotten on the freeway and I was getting used to the rental car. I checked the mirrors as traffic whizzed by me and exclaimed "Wow, this car has a HUGE blind spot!" because a car I could see clearly by turning around was INVISIBLE in ALL my mirrors. I then realized...my right side mirror (which SHOULD have been staring straight at him) was facing the pavement. Heh. NICE.

P.S. I missed my kitties and although I'm technically home alone because John is away, I love feeling needed by them.

Photo: Edouard Debat-Ponsan found via Wikimedia