A lot of you already know, but anyway: I am coming back to Durham this upcoming weekend, and I won’t be heading back to Santa Monica. Instead I’ll be starting a new job in Chapel Hill towards the end of the March.

This is something I’ve been wrestling with for a while now; I’m rather sad to be leaving the company that I’m currently working for, but over the past six months, I’ve realised that I’m not sure if I’m ready for the consultant’s life just yet. I miss not coming home at night, seeing Stacie and my friends, not knowing exactly when I’ll be heading on a flight back to Durham, access to my books, and then there’s the issue that I haven’t cooked a meal for myself since sometime in July (not entirely the job’s fault, but I haven’t had regular access to a kitchen for six months). I have ideas for Fallout Durham that I want to get started on, but to do that, I need to be back in Durham for a lot more than I am presently.

So, with a heavy heart, I’ve handed in my notice and found a job that’s a bit closer to home (as an aside, I still haven’t wrapped my head around the idea that home is now Durham, rather than Bicester. I’m hoping that returning and staying will help bed that in). If you’d told me two years ago where I’d be working for the past six months, I would have laughed in your face. It’s been an amazing opportunity, and I’m sad to be leaving the team atmosphere of OSI.

However, this does mean that I can start planning my birthday (The phrase “21 knots, sir!” is a giant clue, by the way), our first wedding anniversary together, a series of concerts, and, yes, chocolates. I’m looking forward to seeing everybody in Durham a little more frequently than I have been over the last few months. Back in six days, everybody!