Work Transition

Friday, which also happened to be my birthday, marked my last full-time day at Cabrini University. With the school closing at the end of this academic year, I had hoped and planned to stay until June. However, I was offered an exciting position at Delaware County Community College (DCCC) as the Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the Educational Foundation. I can't wait to start next Monday.

As is my tradition, I took a selfie in my office on my last day. I started this habit during my time working in a cold and damp ticket booth near the historic ships at the Philadelphia Seaport Museum, which was the most depressing job I've ever had. The idea behind the photo is to remember the lessons learned in my position. (Seaport lesson = don't work for folks who are stealing the institution's funds.) Reflecting on my time at Cabrini and the lessons learned, I feel immense gratitude for:

• Recognizing my openness and eagerness to learn new skills, tackle ambiguous projects, step into larger leadership positions, and manage a variety of tasks to keep things interesting: from social media management to hosting large events, documenting the institution's assets and prioritizing their importance, and taking over the department/joining the President's Cabinet; and
• My ability to stay true to myself: asking numerous questions, working independently, enjoying light-hearted banter with colleagues, dealing with my slight nervousness about public speaking through preparation, valuing colleagues as whole individuals with lives outside of work, and needing outdoor time to balance the computer work that's required.

I'm thrilled to carry these skills and self-reflections into my new role.

These past few years, while completing my doctorate and working to close the school, have underscored the incredible support and love I receive from my family. It has not been easy to go to school while working full time, lose my job and need to pivot, or be the main contact for alums, who are processing the news of their school closing. While I often brush off these challenges, Josh helps me recognize what an emotionally taxing year it has been. 

I'm blessed to have a fantastic cheering squad always backing me. They are my foundation, and I am so grateful for our time together. I look forward to continuing to prioritize my relationships with the core people in my life—my immediate family, extended family, and those who have become family over the years.

Eclipse with the Gardners

We had a fantastic trip to Buffalo to see the eclipse and spend time with the Gardners. On the drive up to upstate New York, we stopped by the Corning Museum of Glass, which was fascinating. In Buffalo, we toured some warships, took on the upside-down challenge, and watched the eclipse while overlooking Lake Erie. Alma, James, and I even managed to sneak in a quick trip on the Maid of the Mist, which was amazing.

What wasn't captured in photos was all the fun and laughter-filled dinners we had with Erica's family, an impromptu soccer game, and throwing an entire tree's worth of sticks into the water. It was wonderful to spend time with Erica's entire family and Janelle. I'm incredibly grateful for Erica's friendship; it always feels so effortless and supportive. She's fantastic at planning these adventurous outings. We can't wait for the next one!

Feeling grateful

Just a quick PSA to express how grateful I am to have Joshua in my life. We've been married for nearly 18 years (6,439 days to be exact), which is wild and wonderful. He is supportive, committed, and a hard worker.  Among so many other things, he makes us laugh, feeds us delicious meals, and continues to invest in the strength of our friendship. I'm so blessed to have a partner who supports my efforts to grow, try new things, and evolve over the years. I couldn't have crafted a better husband and life-long companion.

Spring is finally arriving

Spring weather has been slow to arrive -- while it isn't cold, it hasn't been especially warm either.  Happily, we have had a full calendar that includes all our favorite people, including a trip up to New Jersey to see the Martin-Prussacks and Thompsons, a visit from Uncle Scott (including a visit to Delaware and a Denny's), a windy and cold week in Sea Isle City, New Jersey followed by a windy and cold climbing trip to Birdsboro, and a lovely Easter with Nana, Grandpa, and Hayden. Also, in exciting news, James got braces and Laura accepted a new job, which will begin later in April.

France

With some extra vacation time that I needed to use before the school's closure, I took a week-long solo trip to France, which was a delight. After a few days in an apartment in Paris's 11th arrondissement, I took a train to Lyon and then another to Nice. I checked off various tourist spots in each city but most enjoyed being led by my whims at my own pace.

My high school and college French came in handy. Although when I spoke in French, folks responded in English, which may be some helpful feedback on my accent -- ha!  A few times, people would tell me a bunch of information, I would nod and smile while I generally understood what they said, I would answer with something small in French (e.g., "merci"), and they would say to their friends (in French), "Oh, I thought she was going to speak French." This made me laugh ... because I was speaking French.  Based on the number of people who asked me for directions in Paris, I must have been playing the part of a local well.

Obviously, I ate lots of tasty food during the trip. While I'm not one to typically take pictures of my food, I did at times during this trip since they remind me of fun moments -- croissants, crepes, baguettes, tarts, endless other pastries, a terrible croque monsieur (even after all the times I exclaimed in French class, "J'adore manger un croque monsieur"), seafood, Welsh's from James, and ending with French fries along the Mediterranean Sea.

I'm so grateful for Josh and the kids who were as excited for me to take this (slightly last-minute) trip as I was.