A deep breath before moving on May21 '08

When I was in high school, I always felt a sense of reflection and sentimentality on the last few days before summer vacation. This feeling only deepened as a senior, knowing that once I walked out of those doors, I'd never again return to those cramped hallways where I spent so many hours during the past four years.

I had a little routine that I did before I physically left the building prior to summer. I'd take one last walk around, passing familiar windows and classrooms, of which I never had enough time to notice as I hurried from class to class.

Just before I'd leave the building out into the warm June sunshine, I'd pause for a moment. I wouldn't exactly do anything during that moment. To passersby, I may have appeared as if I was waiting for a car ride.

In reality, I was soaking up as much of that last moment as I possibly could - and not because I particularly enjoyed my high school years (I didn't), but because I knew it was a momentous occasion - the changing of times. It was a moment of reflection to myself - a deep breath before moving on.

I feel the same way today, on the last day of my current job. Jobs are somewhat like high school - you're forced into a room with the same people for an extended number of months or years. Like it or not, you get to know your co-workers almost more than your own family.

I'm not sure if I'll pause before I walk out the door today, but I'm sure I'll glance around and definitely take that deep breath.

As Ferris Bueller wisely said: