The Night Before Life Goes On

I woke up this morning and the first thought that popped into my head was, "this is my last day here in this park". After an unforgettable summer here, it's almost unreal to think that tomorrow I'll be back in San Antonio. It's been on my mind almost constantly today. Getting ready for work, all I thought was that it was the last time to put on that uniform. At breakfast and lunch I just thought that it was one of the last times I'd eat in the EDR. Right before walking out the door of the EDR after having lunch, I paused and looked around the place one more time. I'd been in that room at least twice a day for almost the past few months, and though the food left some to be desired, I'd made a lot of memories eating in there with friends.

While I was eating breakfast before going into work at seven, Nate walked in, wearing his work uniform, and sat down next to me. It turns out he'd come in to add some extra help since we had so many check-outs to take care of today. Even though it was pretty busy, getting to work with Nate, Cristina, Emily, and Maggie was a pretty perfect way to end my job at the desk.

After work I went over to the vault and turned in my bank and the key to my safe. I will not miss the long, elaborate process of printing out shift reports, filling out deposit slips and bags, and doing cash drops at the end of any shift when I took in cash (which is the large majority of morning shifts). I was glad that today was my last day to have to do that.

This morning while I was in the front desk office Brian, who was also working this morning, told me that I should go to the Whistle Pig this evening, since they'd be serving free pizza. That definitely sounded better than the EDR, and I'd been planning on hanging out in there one last time anyway, so I said I'd be there. Since Cristina, Nate and Tanner are all off this evening, they said they'd all be there as well, so we could all hang out one more time. I don't know what Jesse's schedule this evening is, but hopefully he can come too. I ate lunch with him in the EDR, and he was also working at the time, so I'm hoping that he'll have the evening off. He still said that he doesn't mind giving me a ride to the airport early tomorrow morning, which is awesome.

After changing out of my uniform and turning it in as well, I finished the last of my packing and room cleaning. The empty walls, closet, and dresser made the room feel different; my side of the room no longer had an identity. It was back to the blank slate that it had been when I first arrived in May, and would remain that until someone else arrived next year. I didn't feel sad about that exactly, just a little strange.

I'm going to head over to the Whistle Pig soon to enjoy my last night here with my friends. I won't be able to stay there too late since I have to get up really early tomorrow to get to the airport on time, and want to spend as much time in there tonight as possible. I'm excited to be back home and see my friends and family in San Antonio, but the thought of saying goodbye to Cristina, Nate, Jesse, Tanner, and everyone else here really sucks. I hope it's not a permanent goodbye, but I know that it very well may be. They've been a big part of the best summer of my life, and helped make memories that I'll hold on to for the rest of my life.

“Tomorrow she'll be rolling down I-10

Baton Rouge, LSU

18 years in her rearview

He's got a Friday paycheck lined up down the block

At daddy's shop

It ain't much but its a job

They've been dreading this moment all summer long

The night before

Life goes on”

Carrie Underwood (again), The Night Before Life Goes On