The Next Chapter

After contemplating for more than a year, I did it.  In June I turned in my resignation at my job.  I had worked in accounting and finance with the same company for 25 years.  During the last two years, it was not the same great place to work at that it once was.  After doing some personal financial analysis, Todd & I decided it was the right time for me to quit my job and take a long sabbatical.  I’m open to working at a part-time job in the future, so it’s not a true retirement yet.  But after 25 years of working month-ends, quarter-ends, and year-ends, I was ready to do something different.

I wore this shirt that I made using iron-on transfer letters on my last day of work, ha ha.

I was going to leave in mid-July, but in early July my management asked me to stay until the end of August so that they could have time to find my replacement.  They offered some additional bonus compensation to me and I agreed.  My last day of work was August 31st.  My replacement started on 8/27 so I only had a week to train him.  I did the best I could. 

Oh and the week before my last week, I had my hair dyed pink again.  To celebrate leaving the workforce.  My hair stylist Mel posted this photo on her IG account.  My hair was VERY pink this time, LOL.  But I really like it.  It’s me.

A couple of weeks before my last day, my best girlfriends at work had a goodbye lunch for me. 

I would be sad, but I know I’ll have regular lunches with these ladies still.  I was so blessed to have this supportive group of women to hang out with at work. 

On my last day of work, they happened to have a Hawaiian Luau luncheon quarterly celebration at work.  So I went out in style!

I didn’t cry until a couple of days later.  Working there for 25 years was a HUGE chapter of my life.  The company moved us from Dayton to San Diego, changing the course of my life forever.  I’ve made some friends there that I’ve known since I was 23 years old.  I chose this time to leave because they are making tremendous changes at the company in the next few months and most of my old friends will lose their jobs.  I wanted to leave anyway, and it was a good time to not see the changes the next few months.  (My job was not in jeopardy, so if I would have stayed, I would have had to experience every one I knew leaving.)

I sent out my goodbye email to everyone on Monday of my last week at work.  I would like to share it here too.

Subject:  Onwards & Upwards

Colleagues & Friends,

In 1993 I was a starry-eyed accounting graduate from The Ohio State University, beginning my career at NCR, full of hopes and dreams for the future.  I worked hard, got my master’s degree while working full-time, relocated from Dayton to San Diego, held various positions in accounting and finance, and learned so many lessons along the way.

It’s 2018 and I’m once again a starry-eyed (albeit older) person, trying to find my way in this world.  After months of contemplation and deliberation, I’ve made the difficult decision to leave Teradata and start the next chapter of my life.  It’s been an awesome 25-year run and I’m immensely grateful for the entire experience.  I never imagined that I would stay for so long at the same company.  It really is a credit to the wonderful people I’ve gotten to work with along the way.

You may be wondering, what are my plans for the future?  For the immediate next few months, I will be visiting family across the country, tackling some home projects that I’ve put off, and figuring out what makes my heart sing again.  I’ve come to realize that just because I’ve done something for 25 years doesn’t mean that I can’t do something new in the future.  The possibilities are endless and I’m really excited to explore them.  It feels scary and exhilarating at the same time, sort of like that one time when I jumped out of an airplane at 13,000 feet.

My last day here will be this Friday, August 31st.  I hope to get a chance to talk to you individually before I leave.  If you are in San Diego campus, I will see you this Friday in the courtyard for the campus luncheon.

You can keep in contact with me through these channels, and I really hope you do.

(Contact info redacted for privacy purposes.)

Warmest regards,

Christine  Newman

Had to turn in my badge and sign a form the last day before I left.

I’m tremendously proud of all that I accomplished during my 25 year career.  I think it’s really rare for anyone to work at the same company for that long anymore.  I’ve survived many many changes and reductions in force.  I always did my best in everything and tried to contribute and add value to business decisions through my financial analysis. 

I’m excited to start the next chapter of my life!