End of an Era: Part III

Three full days left in town, and I'm numb. I have packed almost everything I own. My walls are bare, my refrigerator empty. 

As for the office, I am starting to realize that I am simply unable to leave everything prepared for my absence. There is too much information to impart on someone new, and I will only have four hours on Thursday to try. My replacement is coming in for training that day. One half day of training. Poor thing. 

But the Boss is in fair spirits. Or at least, he hasn't had too much time to think about it. Last week was full of hearings and meetings. This week is, too. The work is anesthetic, at least to me. Today our computers failed us, and that, too, helped me forget that my last day is looming before us. Still, the sense of urgency I feel in the pit of my stomach, though unacknowledged most of the day, is only due to one thing - my dwindling time. 

Tomorrow I get to go to court with the Boss. This will mark the second time in two years I have graced the courtroom with my presence. I asked to go this time because the trial is one we have been working toward for the past two years. After months of preparations and musings, I want to see how the judge rules. I want to hear the testimony and silently root for my home team. I want to be there when the final piece of the puzzle is laid. It will be my good-bye present to myself, and I'm hoping it's a good one. 

Then, on Thursday night, there will be a more public good-bye party. I will gather with family and friends at the little pub down the street to celebrate the past three years we have had together. Though I fought it at first, coming home to this small community was the best thing I could have done after college. I've matured both as an individual and as a paralegal during this time. I guess you could say that I found myself. 

Friday will mark the beginning of an era, and I'm already looking ahead to it. No doubt I will miss every single speck of dirt I am leaving behind, but there is so much to discover in a new city. And after weeks of fretting, grieving and preparing, I am ready to make those discoveries.