Breaking Up with Novell

Tomorrow is my last day of employment at Novell as a software engineer. I've never before mentioned in this blog who I work for.

I'm sitting in my office thinking about my last day tomorrow. It's an incredibly nostalgic and bittersweet emotion. I'm looking northward out my office window on the 7th floor. I have a magnificent view of the mountains and Utah Valley - at seven floors up in Provo, Utah, you are pretty much at the top of the city. I am sure going to miss this view.

I dated a girl in college named Stefani. She was a great girl, and we enjoyed our time together. In spite of this, after time I came to believe that our relationship was not ever going to work out. With mixed emotions I broke off the relationship, not because I didn't like her, but because in spite of the liking it just wasn't working out.

Choosing to leave Novell has been like that. After eight years (give or take) at a place, you can't help but harbor fond memories and feelings. I don't know how else to describe the feeling, unless you too have ended a relationship that was not fruitful, even in spite of all the enjoyment you had gotten from the relationship.

Funny thing is, I don't regret my decision to leave at all. I don't have any second thoughts or feel like I'm making a mistake. I guess it is a feeling of sorrow, regret, and disappointment - oh, if only it could have worked out. Alas, it didn't. I guess it wasn't meant to be.


The upside: After I broke off the relationship with Stefani, I met another girl that was even more wonderful. She is still my girlfriend (and wife) after 14 years. Maybe that's a good omen.