I couldn’t post much about the process as it was happening, but it’s official. I’m moving to Albany.
I was offered a new job and decided to take on the challenge…and there’s a lot of them. I’m leaving higher education (granted, for a company that works alongside higher education institutions, but I won’t be on a campus anymore), leaving western New York, and moving to a new place with next-to-no connections…all in less than a month.
Where am I going? A company called Merit. A group of people who are all about innovation, creativity, and student achievement. It’s a completely different working atmosphere from what I’m used to, which is challenging and exciting. I’ll be starting October first, and leaving Rochester at the end of September.
It’s strange to think that I moved here only a year ago, and it’s hard to leave. I’ve invested myself in the community, become connected with the city, and made some amazing friendships. There’s so many places I haven’t been, festivals I had to miss the first time around, and experiences I haven’t had yet; and probably never will. It’s what makes it harder, I guess.
But looking forward, I get to dive in to a new community, with new friends and experiences. I’ve also learned a lot in this past year about myself that I’ll take with me to Albany, and it will make the transition easier. I learned how to cook a little better, how to make new friends, and how to be alone – a major challenge I faced when I first moved out to Rochester.
Even though my to-do list before I leave Rochester is three miles long, between goodbye dinners and canceling gym memberships, I’m excited about this new adventure.