The last day

I have a bit of catching up to do since I had no internet all week!

Friday was my final day at work, and it was more emotional than I expected. I handed out thank you notes to people who positively impacted my time at the company, and I said my goodbyes. I cried or got choked up a few times, even though I make it a rule to never cry at work! It felt like graduating, or maybe like leaving home.

I had exit interviews with my direct supervisor in the creative department and then the head of HR. Although the specific content of the conversations should probably stay private (since they were "official" and all!), I will say that both were very positive and encouraging. I am very lucky to have so many mentors, and I will miss the "bosses" in addition to my peers.

Late in the afternoon I decided to go downstairs to the theatre beneath our offices. I sat in the mezzanine for about 20 minutes and cried. All the emotion from the last five years (and especially the last year or so) poured out of me. So many memories.... not to mention the experiences I had as a young teenager in that very Broadway theatre! It sounds stupid, but I actually said "thank you" out loud, just in case anyone (i.e. a higher power, or maybe our theatre ghost) was listening.

At the end of the day the office was very quiet, as it was after 6pm and the Friday before a holiday weekend. All of my personal things had been taken home or were packed up and ready to go. I went in for my final meeting, a discussion with my other boss, the lead producer and president of the company.

Truthfully, two favorite moments of the last year were the two times I sat down with him privately. Alone in his oasis of an office I felt he actually understood me and my creative goals. If I ever write an autobiography, maybe I'll detail our entire conversation on my final day. If things work out well for me, his eloquent and honest words of encouragement will be the perfect dramatic transition into the era when my dreams start to come true.... Either way, it felt great to get his blessing to go forth into the world and make my art with no hard feelings about my departure.

I walked out the doors for the last time with the fellow assistant who was my closest colleague in the last nine months. He was a huge part of what made my final chapter good -- as down as I felt at times, he and the other wonderful personalities around me made it so I never dreaded coming to work. At the very least, I got to sit next to creative, passionate people who were constantly saying alternately hilarious and profound things.

Yep, I'll definitely miss the people the most. I miss them already... but I will do my part to stay in touch. They are pretty much the coolest theatre people I've ever met, and I hope we're all ruling the world together someday.

Until then.... fun-employment? Haha, that and creating some musical theatre masterpieces (I hope).