Lastday. Gemini 13s. Year of the Company 2008. Carousel begins.

I’ve been with Critical Mass (Canada) for 8 years. Eight years, two months, and 9 days.

Today is my last day.

Sorta.

On Sunday, I leave for Costa Rica. Although I am working for another company, I’m still technically tied / linked / married / owned / have-tattoo-emblazoned-on-my-arse by Critical Mass. It works out somehow, and I’m not going to question it. Just in case I ask something that effectively negates something I’m relying on right now, and it causes more trouble than it’s worth.

Yes, ignorance is bliss.

It’s not easy to leave. I have a lot of friends here. Well, actually, most of my friends in Calgary work here, to be honest. I’m going where I don’t really know anyone, save for 3-4 people that I’m working with. That’s it. I just hope I can get to be friends with them. I leave behind the best team that I’ve worked with since I started here. That’s hard for me.

I’ve had countless people ask me if I’m excited to go. I’ll be honest: I’m terrified.

Not of Costa Rica, or of the uncertainty, or of any of the million or so things that could go wrong. I’m terrified of being alone. Alex and Mi Pequeña Niña won’t be coming until mid-July. I have a hard enough time being away from them for a few days, let alone a month. I’m going to be burning up the internet between Santa Ana and Calgary through Skype. I’ll likely have my video running most of the day so I can see my daughter. I’m terrified that she might forget her father. I’m terrified that I’m going to miss her first steps.

Yes, I’m going to a tropical country. Yes, I’m living in a complex that actually has a swim-up bar. But this is not a vacation, folks. This is a new start-up. This is a lot of work. I’ve been there before, so I have no illusions about what I’m getting into. Key things: I have a place to live, I have a place to work. Beyond that, all bets are off.

Ask me again in August if I’m excited. With luck, I’ll have a better answer for you by then.

But this is a chapter ending for me. It’s my last day (and it’s not). Somehow, I always thought there’d be more fanfare (on my end, not the company’s) with this day. At least I thought there’d be more beer…