With change comes grief. But not a bad kind of grief. It's a good kind. Today is my last day in the office I've worked in for 9+ years. This office is like home to me. After all, I spend 9 hours a day here. This morning will be my last drive to work. Will I meet the Donlon's on the road? Will deer run across in front of me? Will the recycle truck be at Gunder? Will I get all my stuff packed up and loaded into Ryan's vet truck? I thank God for the 9 years I've had in this quiet office on a river town in Northeast Iowa. So here's 9 things I love about this office/job:
1. My boss. I started this job with a boss who was very kick-back but became like a father figure. He retired Jan 2010. I was blessed to eventually get a new boss who was also kick-back. Just a few years my senior, I also enjoy and appreciate my "new" boss.
2. My coworkers. They are wonderfully hard working people. This is more than a paycheck for each person here. It truly is a means of serving and educating those around us. My coworkers have changed over the years but I've learned from each one of them.
3. My clients. Most the time they're farmers. Some times, they're landowners who rent ground. Sometimes they're landowners with no crop land. Sometimes they're super friendly. And sometimes they hate the government so they're jerks. But, there's a hand full of favorites. The ones I wish I could take with me. The ones I would sit around a camp fire with. The ones who use this building for assistance and education, not just for rules and money.
4. The landscape. This is one of the prettiest and diverse counties in the state. I'm not biased at all either. It has rock out-crops along the Mississippi River bluffs. It has acres and acres of timber and wildlife. It has the rolling hills of cropland. And a few prairie pot holes can be found in some areas of the county. With the might Mississippi bordering the East side of the county, and the Volga and Turkey rivers running through the county, there's plenty of spots along the river to fish and protect.
5. My corner office. I'll admit it. I'm kind of spoiled. I have a back corner office. Not really an office, more of a cubicle. But it's still in the corner so I have a little space to myself back here.
6. The partners I work with. Some of them I would consider my coworkers. Our building has 3 agencies. The staff in those other agencies are also my friends. I'm going to miss the [not just] girls over at FSA for sure. I'm going to miss the DNR partners that I've come to know around here and my Extension buddy downtown. Clayton County has some great partners and I appreciate them.
7. The challenging work load. Well, this won't change in my new county. It will still be a challenge. But, I like the diverse workload here. I'm swamped almost all of the time. And working with participants with all kinds of backgrounds and interests creates it's own fun challenges.
8. The interest in conservation and wildlife. What more can I say about that? People like to improve their land around here and I love working with them.
9. Educating open-minded people. Not everyone has to do things they way their grandfather did it. I like when people come to us open-minded about how to pursue or deal with something. To prevent a problem before it arises. That is definitely one of my favorites about the job.
I'm looking forward to today. Although it will be a little akward saying goodbye. I love my co-workers but I hate "goodbyes". With that said, I'm looking forward to my next adventure in another field office. A closer drive to work. A new staff that I already know a bit. A similar but different work load.
