This is the first day of the rest of your life

Or at least yesterday was for me. The first Monday after leaving my job, and possible publishing, for good. I was shocked at how emotional the departure was for both me and my coworkers. I've even dreamed, since the departure, that I went back to work just to hang out until they found someone else because I missed it! I gave so much notice it was just sort of surreal when the day actually arrived, with none of the excitement I expected, I think partially because it makes this next scary step very real and partially because, as someone was saying this weekend, no matter how much you like or think you dislike something, if you experience it for any length of time you grow attached. And since I can get attached to a character in a 30 sec commerical, you can imagine what 18 months does to me. No one really likes the act of going to work every day even if you love your job, but I think, for me at least, there's sometimes so much focus on being grumpy about work that you don't appreciate everything/everyone on a daily basis, especially not the people you see or chat with in passing who can often make the difference in your day. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to think about insulin-dependent anything for awhile, but I think I learned much more and will miss it much more than I anticipated.

Now it's an interview today in front of the Montgomery County School Board then off to the beach for a few days before back to school time. I will be going to public school for the first time in my life at the University of Maryland (riot gear not included in tuition) to learn how to mold young minds. I better be learning something good because I'll be in class every day from 9-4, plus the god knows how long commute from Arlington to Rockville until they can tell me where I'll need to be in the fall. Wish me luck, because this whole teaching thing is sort of a lark and I won't be a very happy panda if it doesn't work out.