The phone call came last night at 8:30pm. The voice on the other side had clear instructions and details. “You’ve been accepted and we have a position for you in Tucson, AZ”
Great news…I got the job I’ve been working so hard to get for the last half a year and I’ve been accepted to one of the places I wanted to go to.
The bad news?
“Report at your station on August 7th at 9:00am for orientation”
The cost of getting this job? Leaving everything I’ve known and loved for the last 26 years with less than two weeks notice. I can smile and say “This is what I have to sacrifice for this career” but know that deep down I still resent the extremely short notice.
I will be flying out of Buffalo at some point on Wednesday the 6th. I’m sure I will have more concrete details soon as far as times.
Obviously we need to have a going-away party (or parties) ASAP…lets get to work planning those.
To my friends who didn’t know what I’ve been applying for, I’m sorry I didn’t talk much about it only due to the fact that I didn’t think I would be accepted as quickly as I was. This is a tremendous career opportunity for me and I have to be willing to accept sacrifices now while keeping “the big picture down the road” in plain sight. This is something I have to do, please don’t hate me for leaving.
Please know how much I will miss everyone terribly. PLEASE come visit me often! Please buy all my stuff so I have money to travel Please wish me luck, I am going to need a ton of it.
Well congrats on the job. Hard to beleive they would give you such short notice like that though. I can’t imagine uprooting my entire life in 2 weeks of notice…
Oh I know good sir, I’m already planning out trips to vegas to come visit you and desmond on my long weekends
Going to be working with the Department of Homeland Security protecting our nation’s southern borders. I spend the first 5 months in New Mexico for “basic training” then I go back to spend my time in Tucson (which is more of a supervisor training center from what the journeyman stationed there tell me since the station I will be at is actually somewhat distant from the border).
It’s definitely hard to uproot in such a short time, but I think most people knew I was planning for this. I sold my house 2 months ago with a good feeling I would get the job, but I definitely did not expect to get sent so soon.
It sucks to leave, but there are just way too many reasons to take this job. I am going in at the highest pay differential for a new hire due to my education and work experience, which is a huge plus.
I was hoping for San Diego b/c I have family there, but to no avail at this time…once I hit journeyman status (1.5-2 years), I can transfer anywhere in the country I like, so in theory I could be back here before too long.
No worries, I already found amateur hockey leagues within a 10 minute drive of my station, and the coyotes/d-backs are only a short 1.5 hour drive further west…
I won’t be in town the next two weekends. Stuiped weddings.
Good luck. At least you won’t sweat your ass off because your overweight.
So don’t plan on me visiting in the summer.
Please wish me luck, I am going to need a ton of it.
