During October of my senior year of college, the Hubs got a job in Washington, DC, about 5 hours from home.  I busted my butt and did everything in my power to graduate a semester early so I could move down there 3 months later in January.  I was lucky- I immediately lined up a few interviews and had accepted a job I thought would be perfect before I moved.

Instead, it was a nightmare.

The job was completely different then the one I was originally hired to do.  It went from being 5% travel to being 100% travel- I spent a total of 9 weeks gone from home with only one weekend back in DC with the Hubs in our new home.  The powers that be noticed how miserable I was and transferred me back to the main office in DC.  That was even worse- I became a very rich bitter woman’s secretary and was berated and belittled on a daily basis. The rest of the staff wasn’t any better and I was clearly the office joke.  Things were so bad that I would spend most of my Sunday’s crying because I had to go back to work the next day.

Needless to say, I applied to any job I possibly could to get me out of that hellhole.  I must have sent out close to 75 resumes when my current Big Company called me for an interview.  After 7 of the longest months of my life, I started a new job.

That was 11 years ago and I can honestly say that 90% of the time, I enjoy my job and that is due in large part to the people I work with.  People who are whip smart and funny and engaging and dedicated.  People who have made the best out of this crappy economy and all the impacts it’s had on our working environment. People who keep doing the best job they can despite shrinking resources, budgets and headcount.  People who I’m happy to call my friends after working together for so long.

Today, some of those people stopped working for Big Company and I couldn’t be more sorry to see them go.  Not only is their absence a blow to the company, it’s going to make my time at work so much less fun.  Kris, Michele & Rob- it’s been a privilege and a pleasure spending the last 5+ years working with each of you! Best wishes!