Top Responses to Resignation

• WOW! repeated at least 10 times
• OMG!
• WTF?!!!
• Does this mean you're not going to have a Halloween party this year?

But the best response came from my friend Evan, who barged into my office and belted out, in full Michael Bolton, "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU?!!!!!  Nice.

It Happened One Text

 June 2010

So how did a nice girl (go with me on this),  agree to forfeit her well paying job, Southern California lifestyle, family, friends and membership to a dozen wine clubs, in exchange for a two bedroom apartment and Suica card (transit card) in Tokyo?!

It happened by text.  Russell (aka the husband) and I were at dinner one night when he received a text from one of our friends and business associates innocently asking if he'd ever consider moving to another country.  Sounded intriguing.  Course, I was thinking Paris.  The text led to a phone call that led to an interview, that led to an offer that led to a three hour discussion in which we weighed the pros and cons of the move.  We made the decision the way we always do - on a long hike.  A hike is the perfect setting as there are no distractions, no TVs, magazines, billboards or cell phones.  This is how we decided to move to Texas, move back from Texas, move to Virginia and 18 months later, move back to California.  

Anytime we have a big issue to discuss, I begin bribery negotiations for the length of the hike and we go, we exert, we make decisions.

I know I made it sound easy.  But it really wasn't.  Emotionally, of course, we would miss our families, our friends, but now that both grandparents were gone (I lost my last semblance of a parental figure in September 09) and our niece and nephews were almost out of high school (except Brando - adorable freshman) there weren't the same reasons holding us back like they had in the past.  The whole process took about two months and in the end we basically came to the realization  - when we look back at our lives how cool would it be to say we had lived in Paris, err I mean Tokyo!!!  What an experience - what an opportunity - what an adventure it would be.   We had to do it.