On Monday I made a huge move and put my two weeks into work. If anything it made my departure official it was the announcement that I was leaving my company. It wasn’t necessarily news to most of them but my chat activity still blew up with the outpours of “future miss you’s” and “good lucks.” If you weren’t aware I consider a large amount of coworkers (past and present) my genuine friends. It is the best part about my job and even when we all move on we manage to keep in touch very well. The difference with me is that it’s beyond the company—I’m leaving the East Coast.
I’ve come to realize that ALL of my NY friends are experiencing some stage of loss or grief. No joke, I’m fucking honored. I find it highly endearing, even when they’re purposely being dicks to me because they’re stuck in the anger stage.
The first stage is denial. I will safely say everyone hit this stage as expected, “you’re just talking about moving back, there’s a chance you won’t or it won’t be as soon as you say it will.” Many of them were hoping I would meet a man because they’re aware that is a solid piece missing in my puzzle. Obviously that didn’t happen. Kellogg has flat out told me that he’s in denial, even though he’s aware the clock is ticking down and I have a one-way ticket booked.
Anger comes next. Law is currently living in the anger stage. If you follow my twitter I’m always quoting him because he sits across from my desk and we are constantly distracting one another with various subjects. He has told me I am the “female Asian version” of his best friend and it trips him out. He has jokingly insulted me all week for leaving. I’m familiar with the anger stage because all my best friends on the West Coast never left it.
Olivia is perpetually stuck in the bargaining stage. “Move back in the spring, just leave for winter. Sublet your room. Just freelance there, come back and find a new job here. Come back. Come back. Come back.” She’s the most difficult one to have these discussions with because she won’t accept me leaving. I love her for trying. Pretty sure Jorynn and Karina are forever trying to bargain as well.
I’m not full of myself enough to claim anyone is really in the depression stage. Ohh but they will be. Kiddingggg. Jokes.
Acceptance is last. I think Britt is owning this stage, Laura is at this point too—except she still manages to switch back and forth between here and bargaining. Britt is probably my most rational friend. We get along amazingly well because we are basically the same person sometimes. She hit denial and bargaining along the way but she got to acceptance much faster than anyone else. I knew this when she was the first to claim a visit to SF as soon as I was settled.
Jun has gone 0–100 through all of these. He has an advantage because I will never lose touch with his ass as the years go by. Still, 0-100 real quick. Real fucking quick. P.S. If you ask him he will deny this because he refuses to lose his street cred of being a jerk to me all the time.
Overall I am incredibly thankful that my presence and friendship means enough to these people that they’re all feeling some type of way.
New York has been amazing, mainly because of all of them.