So a week ago, I ordered some lockets from a friend of mine at work – she is selling Living Lockets through Origami Owl (ie: best gifts ever). I started looking at one for myself and ended up buying about eight others for friends and family. They’re incredibly cool.

Music, film, travel, writing, coffee/tea, faith, and some accent stones.

This morning, I got to pick them up – I’m so excited to dole them out. I just thought that since I’ll be leaving for three months and I’ll be missing birthdays…

Then I get to work and the VP/my boss comes into my office all cheerfully and says, “Happy Employee Appreciation Day!” and hands me this envelope. I say thanks and he walks away. In the envelope is a little note about how even the small things we do get noticed and help us work as a cohesive unit, etc. It also includes a crisp $50 bill. I got up and followed him to the next office and said thank you through what were threatening to be tears, he gave me a hug.

My days are numbered here. They could have easily given me less or nothing and I never would have thought twice about it. They didn’t need to do that, at all.

As much as I look forward to having three months off work, and boy, do I ever, things keep happening here that make me realize how much I’ll miss this place while I’m gone. I’m getting these great business deals and meeting such wonderful people, having such a great time bullshitting with everyone and feeling amazing when I know I did a really good job on something; then getting little things like this that just aren’t little at all.

A month. That’s all I’ve got left.

Twenty-nine days until my last day of work: twenty-two days of work in that time.

Unbelievable.