Moving on

Today is my last day at Hazelden. Not unlike other "last days" at previous jobs, it will be jammed packed with lots of projects to finish or to hand off, and saying good-bye to an amazing group of co-workers and friends.

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Ten days from now, I will unofficially move* to Rochester, but these days, most my free time now is spent packing, throwing and sorting my worldly goods. I've been very reflective in the last week (reflective as in thoughtful, not shiny in bright light) and thinking of everything I will miss and what I won't miss.

I will not miss my 45 minute commute to work. Giving up seven and half hours each week to non-productivity while driving back and forth has been frustrating. Granted, I now know all of the songs from Glee and completely enjoy belting them out in my car, but I wouldn't consider it an investment in my future skill sets.

I will miss my condo, but not the location at the bottom of hill at the end of a dead-end street with hairpin turns that the City of Saint Paul tends to forget about after snow storms.

I will miss the Saint Paul Farmers Market - great people watching, fresh flowers and vegetables and always something new to discover.

I will miss Whole Foods, Byerly's, and Kowalski's. I thought I would miss Trader Joe's, but have heard that one is being built in Rochester.

I know that the number one thing I will miss about the Twin Cities is the Basilica of Saint Mary. I've been a member there since '96 and it is an amazing place. I was lucky enough to be a member of the Basilica Cathedral Choir for 12 years and I met some amazing people whose friendships I will always treasure. The choir was like my family when my real family was miles away.

I loved being able to say that my church "picnic" lasted two days, attracted 40,000 people and had bands like the Goo Goo Dolls and 10,000 Maniacs. I would add after saying that, in a rather snarky voice, "And yours?"

My holidays will never be the same because of my Basilica experience. I haven't been singing with the choir for the last two years and I haven't known what to do with myself during the Easter Triduum. It is the Catholic Marathon since the choir sang at most of the services for four straight days. Some years, I wouldn't have a voice on Easter Monday and one year I got a respiratory infection from an overdose of incense. 

The Basilica is unlike any church I've attended and I know whatever church I attend in Rochester, it will most likely never match the Basilica experience.

I moved to the Twin Cities in January 1991 and never imagined I would stay here for almost 20 years. I adapted to the big city lifestyle, but underneath it, I remained a small town girl. In the coming months, she'll have the opportunity to reappear.

Sort of looking forward to meeting her again.

*I will officially move when my condo is sold.