The End of an Era

Yesterday was my last day working for my current company.  I have two or three days off next week, using up leave I was owed, and then I start with my new company.

 I was very conflicted about leaving as I've been in the role for nine years and on that site for nearly fifteen.   I knew it was time for a change and a new challenge, but I am really going to miss a large number of people I worked with there.  Even though I know I've done the right thing, I still found yesterday was much more emotional than I expected it to be.  I did manage to keep it together until almost the end but handing my security passes in felt very final and I can't really get my head around the fact that I won't ever be going back there. 

 I've left my job in the hands of a really lovely young lady who has got her first promotion, is very able, very bright, very fast on the uptake (I wish I was still as razor sharp as she is) and is really looking forward to making a difference in the role.  I know she will be challenged but I am certain she is going  to rise to those challenges with enthusiasm.  So its all good. 

As for me, I'm looking forward to my new challenges and I seem to be heading toward my new challenge with a new shopping addiction to add to my fabric and yarn problem.  My leaving present (along with flowers, chocolates, champagne and some really lovely cards)  was a gift voucher for Pandora.  Regular readers will know that I am all about the sparkle here at SewYLD Mansions, so a bracelet that can be stuffed full of sparkly, shiny things is indeed a very exciting  thing.  But my there are a lot of those charms to choose from.  A LOT.  Hundreds.  All shiny.  All sparkly.  All very pretty.  I tell you ladies and gents, I was in that shop a long time this morning and the result is shown below.

 I had such a hard time choosing.  The good luck charm seemed just right for the circumstances.  But I struggled to choose the two clip beads (the far right and far left beads).  These stop the charms falling off when the bracelet is taken off (though I'm not  planning on taking it off that often and I gather they are fine to be worn night and day).  Both have a tiny bit of gold on them and they complement each other.  The bead to the left of the picture is a flower motif with a gold and crystal centre.  The right hand bead has no stone. 
The dangle charm was given to me by my mum; its a dog sitting up (the photo didn't come out very well, sorry).  It does look remarkably reminiscent of my own dog sitting waiting for her dinner.  So those are the charms that commemorate leaving my old job.  I intend to add charms to commemorate important milestones over the next year or so in my new role, and also in my personal life.   This will be a year of changes, and I might as well make the personal changes that have been overdue alongside the professional ones.  The bracelet will show me my progress. 
J.  You know what you did.  It was just the right thing, at just the right time. 
R, you also know what you did and what you continue to do. 
Thank you both.