This is becoming a habit, if two times can indeed count as a habit. Today is my last day with my current employer and once again, as with my previous departure from my employer, I am leaving and pretty much my jumping on a jet plane to be whisked off to some exotic location.
I am not sure what is making me more apprehensive; the thought of a trans-pacific flight to South America or having to say cheerio to friends and colleagues. Those who witnessed my last workplace departure will surely opt for the latter of the two. I won’t elaborate further, but I’ll just say that there are some properties in Darlington that are still only just getting over the flood damage!
If that was’t bad enough, I am also repeating mistakes at the receiving end, if you know what I mean.
I started my last job in the UK with a broken wrist, having crashed off my mountain bike in spectacular fashion a month earlier and, after several days in hospital, turned up at my new employer with my writing hand in plaster. I still have the scars to prove it, and to this day I am not convinced that any of the contracts I signed in that first month were legally binding.
When I started my role in New Zealand, I had arrived into the country only two days earlier and was severely jet lagged for the entire first week. All of those important introductions we done through a haze of disorientation and confusion. Admittedly some would say that it never really wore off and to this day I am still difficult to understand. It was a whirlwind introduction to working life. In that first week we had opened bank accounts, applied for emergency tax codes, moved into our temporary apartment and discovered that semi-skimmed milk was actually called ‘trim’.
So this time, when I arrive at my new employer after the Christmas break, I will have just returned from a ten day tour of the Galapagos Islands and a four day trek on the Inca Trail in Peru. Four days hiking at a serious altitude in what could be challenging conditions, followed by a gruelling set of flights back to New Zealand. It wasn’t going to be too bad, or at least I thought, as I had a couple of days at home. I have only just realised that I will cross the International Date Line on the way back and so the two days of quality recuperation I 'had' has effectively been halved. Doh! Still I'm sure my new employer won't mind me grabbing a couple of nana naps in that first week.
I was hoping to just slope off this afternoon, say goodbye to a couple of people and then find a quite spot in a pub to have a drink or two. Maybe even a French Exit (look it up). But no, I received an invite to my own farewell afternoon tea just a few days ago. To decline would’ve been rude under those circumstances, although I do suspect that if they’d have a better time without some bloke getting all emotional like a drunken mate at a stag do.
There are two things working in my favour today. The first is that it is getting toward the summer holidays and a lot of people will have other commitments. The second is that I am pre-occupied with the thought of going to Latin America in a few days time. My energies, for what they’re worth, are elsewhere.
I have had a great time at my current-but-not-for-much-longer place of work and have fond memories of taking my first steps working in a foreign country. First, there was the late night telephone interviews where I tried to project an air of professionalism whilst wearing pyjamas and sound enthusiastic despite it being well past my bedtime. In some cases it was after 9pm!
And along the way I have met some great people and picked up some good friends who I hope will continue with me on my journey in New Zealand and beyond. It’s not as if this is goodbye either. My partner still works for the employer so I will be her plus-one at the regular social events and probably turn up more times than a bad penny. Not that anyone would dare say anything - they are far too nice and in my new role I have effectively become a client.
But despite having met some great people, and spending the last two years working alongside my partner, it's time to go. I won't go into details but let's just say that if I were a band member then I'd be saying it was due to musical differences. I'm saying no more, but if you care to buy me a drink in the Lumsden later this evening I may be persuaded. You won’t be able to miss me, I’ll be the one sat in the corner in a pool of water!
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