Saying goodbye

Handover notes have been sent, leaving lunches have been eaten, and goodbyes have been said.

After a long countdown, the day has finally arrived when I switched off my computer for the last time and turned my out of office on.

As I sit here, on my final commute home surrounding by bags filled with lovely gifts and work life memories, I'm left feeling quite numb.

I've worked at this company for three years and made some truly wonderful friends.

Lifelong friends.

Yes, exhaustion has set in these past few weeks and the thought of not having to get up Monday morning at the crack of dawn to commute into London is wonderful, but there is a small part of me that will miss it.

More than anything I'll miss my work friends.

I've always said that relationships with colleagues (when good) are unlike any other relationship.

You're with them for eight hours a day, so you talk about the day to day goings on in your life in a way that you don't with anyone else. My closest friends no less about my life than my colleagues as I spend so much more time with them

I'm a very open person so my close work friends literally know everything about me.

They lived my wedding planning with me, and now I feel that they've lived through my pregnancy. Honestly, every doctors appointment, ache, pain, purchase... They know it all and it is going to be very odd not to see those same reassuring faces everyday.

This isn't about regret or anxiety about my future. I can't wait to be a mummy and for all that's about to change and happen.

This is about saying goodbye for the time being to life as I know it and to the people who make it what it is.

Whenever I've left an establishment in the past, it's been for another role. That I can prepare for. Leaving to have a baby is something alien to me that I can't really prepare for mentally so at this point I think I'll concentrate on closing one chapter before beginning the next.

Today was a wonderful day and one I'll remember for some time. It's going to be interesting trying to adjust to my new life and all the challenges it will bring.

For now, I suppose I should just be grateful to have worked with such a wonderful bunch of people who have made my work life as fun as possible (even when things got really stressful!!!)