Thursday, September 27, 2007

sayonara (part 1)

yes this will be a continuing series but suffice to say, now i can say something i've been holding back for quite some time:

i'm quitting my job and moving to oregon.

to be precise, i'm not the only one moving to oregon. all living things (and oh, so many unliving things) in my household are moving as well. i haven't been able to talk about this before because there are a few people (hello!) from work who quietly read this blog. but now that i've given notice to the landlord and my workday overlord, now you're officially the last to know.

and yes this is partly why i've been posting less, mainly in terms of being verra busy on my weeknights and weekends doing prepwork. but honestly, the other reason is that work was just so damn crazy for quite some time.

as mentioned previously, i volunteered for bug czar duty on the previous push, in an entirely successful attempt to avoid javascript-happy specwork. the tradeoff, of course, is people pinging you night AND day. there's a certain thrill in people constantly clamoring for your attention, even if it's only for input on inane issues. however it does get a little tiring, being in the spotlight so long. and let's just say that the work for the current push -- while not involving much specwork, thank you -- has still been driving me crazy, although that's more about people and process rather than the actual work.

if you're wondering, no i do not have a job up there yet. there have been attempts, of course, and even a job offer earlier this year (yes, this has been in progress for quite some time). however the job meant living in corvallis and while that area has a few charms, for the most part it's the opposite of bewitching.

which is why we're moving to the general portland vicinity, preferably somewhere south/west/central. want to be close to my parents, but also, i want to be in a larger city. i want to feel that energy buzzing all around me, but at a leisurely, oregonized pace. our little family needs good access to all things medical, as well, and so again, portland beats out corvallis (or most anywhere in the state) by a landslide.

then there's all the great memories i have in portland. having chocolates and steamed milk with my mom at pioneer square, trolling through vast, verdant washington park, meandering through powell's for hours, walking in the light drizzle just about anywhere, with everything green fragrantly blossoming all around me.

those are just some of the reasons i can't wait to go.

as to when we go -- we'll be up there by the end of october. which means now i need to pack and finish getting ready.

um. holy shit.

11 comments:

Pandababy said...

My goodness, Heather! you'll be back just in time for the rainy season.

When I lived away from the Portland area (Chicago, NY, San Diego, SF, Richland WA to name a few) I would have dreams of the trout streams and rhodies, the pine trees and puffy clouds. It was a special kind of homesickness since most of the time I was living with my family.

I think when we move to Virginia next year, I'll have those dreams again.

heather said...

ok that's just funny. i'm moving to oregon, you're moving away. =)

yeah we'd hoped to move sooner but set this as our deadline to avoid arriving mid torrential-downpour season. early torrents, ok. ;-)

snarfdog said...

Wow! What a bold move. Hopefully you'll maintain your blog so that we'll know what you're doing up there. Good luck with the job hunt.

heather said...

oh yes. wherever i go, the blog will follow. =)

Kelly said...

Sheesh. I just meet you and Dharma and you both move away. A girl could get a complex, you know... ;)

heather said...

hey kid. we'll always have the internet. ;-)

cvc said...

Wow! Big news!! Good luck with the move, and browse Powell's often for me. Portland was right behind Seattle (which was right behind where I am now!) in the list of cities to which I could possibly imagine myself moving!

Looking forward to the next installment of your latest adventures....

heather said...

thanks cecile! yeah i love seattle too. so rich and vibrant.

louisiana swamp rat said...

Wow, Heather - lots of changes out there on the west coast! Good luck on your relocation, and I hope you find a new job fast.

heather said...

thanks, LSR!

wen said...

we will miss you! you'd better keep this blog updated, or we'll never know of your fine adventures in the great wet north. :)

i have a few friends who moved up there from CA--two just did so at the beginning of september. if you want their info, let me know!