end of an era

And just like that, one of the most exciting, sometimes trying, times of my life is at an official end. I'm sitting on a plane, en route to Memphis, and it's finally sinking in: the FIT chapter of my life is over.

Or is it?

While the actual week to week traveling and system roll out is but a fleeting memory, the experience is such a permanent part of me, that I'm not particularly sure how I existed as a person before I took the assignment. Half of the people I talk to on a daily basis now weren't in my contact list seven months ago. To say that something is over, when it now defines you, just seems, well, silly.

It's funny how quickly your life can change. For the best.

I said goodbye to my apartment, said, "see ya most weekends," to my friends and my family, and journeyed onward to discover so much about not only myself, but the amazing company for which I work. It pushed me to new extremes, kicked me out of my comfort zone, and opened my eyes to a potential I had all but forgotten I possessed.

It may have looked like I was flitting about the country on a unicorn, eating cotton candy for breakfast, bathing in rose petals, but let me tell you, it wasn't quite that glamorous. Some weeks nearly broke my spirit. I was exhausted 99% of the time. On more than a few nights, I missed my bed so much that I cried in my hotel room for two hours because the bed just didn't feel right. But, I promise you, every tear, every conversation, every obstacle helped me become a better version of myself.

To say I feel eternally grateful seems trite, but I have never meant anything more. I am in debt to the team that I now call my family, and while it is a debt I will likely never be able to repay, I will do my best to at least make you proud. It's the least I can do when you let me into your world, challenged me daily, and gave me the tools to do great things before I was ready. I have a career now instead of a job. And I cannot thank you enough.

For fear of looking like an insane grown-up crying into her computer on an airplane, I will cut this short, and leave you with a quote by the ever-wise Amy Poehler.

"As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people's ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you. Spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.'

I did.

It did.