It's official

With our staff having been informed today, I can finally say what's been on my mind since Thursday - I'm leaving my job at the end of September, as the company implements the next part of its restructuring plan.

The past two blog posts were written while I couldn't be more specific, as the correct protocol had to be observed.

I've been working here since December 2007, and I feel like it has been the most significant job I've ever had. I've encountered interesting students from all over the world and befriended some amazing colleagues. I've expanded my knowledge base and my range of skills. I've had to overcome quite personal reservations and step outside of my natural shyness, to play a leadership role in an exciting, never-a-dull-moment, multi-cultural environment. I've learnt so much and changed so much. I like the Trudy I've become while working here. And that's what makes this change so exciting - I'm looking forward to the next part of my professional life, because it can only be yet another fascinating journey for me.

One of the most significant things that happened to me while working here, was getting the opportunity to travel to Brazil, in March 2009, to exhibit at the BELTA Fair in Sao Paulo and to meet agents in three other cities, where I did presentations on Cape Town and our school. I will never forget what a wow that was! I fully intend to fly to Brazil again, one day, and experience the country as a tourist, preferably with my children.

I've been privileged to work under the leadership of someone who gave me a lot of freedom to put my own stamp on my portfolio in his company, someone who seldom questioned my judgement and who entrusted the day-to-day running of his company to me. That trust enabled me to flex my mind and implement my ideas, and gave me the
opportunity to see in which areas of leadership I succeeded naturally, and where I needed to learn a lot.

Today, while driving to school, I started feeling queasy, and had to pull off to get out of my car and breathe! Not sure if it was the medication for my sore foot or some kind of anxiety about the staff being told today, but it passed soon enough. Drove to school and survived the announcement, feeling remarkably at peace. Life goes on, hey, whether we handle surprises calmly and philosophically or fall apart, so I choose to do the former.

Elizabeth Taylor is reputed to have said that she'd had no problems showing anger towards any of her husbands, as she believed they needed to know the full extent of who she was, including the full range of emotions she was capable of. I feel like that about how I want to journey through life - I want to feel and experience many different things, because the alternative is a grey, blah, nondescript existence ..... and if you knew even a little bit about me, you'd know that I would die of boredom if that were my lot.

And so, once again, I choose life, and life abundantly.

Picture: me at the staff party in Dec 2007; Revolving Restaurant, Ritz Plaza Hotel, Sea Point.