I’m back from Florida and it feels like we are really beginning to accelerate towards our departure date.  I basically have two weeks left at work, time in which my major responsibilities include training the coworkers I’m leaving behind and packing up my personal belongings.  Oksana will be working through the month of June, training her own replacement, and I’ll spend our last month in Juneau making sure all our possessions are safely packed away.

We also have a thousand-and-one other things to do.  Arrange for medical/travel insurance, complete our vaccinations, set up new bank accounts, cancel most of our utilities and make arrangements on the others to pay up a year in advance, buy ferry tickets, pack, fix the website, and somehow keep posting content (even if it’s Spartan, like this.)

On the plus side, my new Sony Vaio laptop arrived yesterday (after much struggle with FedEx Ground!)  Somewhere around here is my Adobe Master Collection serial number and as soon as I find it, I’ll finally get to try editing actual AVCHD files.  My previous Dell didn’t have the horsepower; let’s see what these i7 chips can do.

Appropo of nada, here is my letter of resignation:

May 10, 2010

Jim Gage, Media Services Manager
University of Alaska, Southeast
11120 Glacier Hwy
Juneau, AK 99801

Jim,

It is with sadness that I’m submitting this letter.  As you know, my wife and I have decided to take a year off to travel the world, therefore; I’m resigning my position as Digital Media Specialist at the University of Alaska Southeast. My last day will be June 1, 2010.

Over the years, I’ve come to cherish my role at UAS and I’m proud of the work I’ve done, not just for our department, but for the university as a whole.  Sprinting alongside students in an Ultimate Frisbee class, giving Spanish lessons in a tent on the Inca Trail, shooting ice field footage for the Environmental Science program from the open door of a helicopter, creating a 50-year anniversary party slideshow… No other job could give me the same opportunities!

I’ve worked full-time in Media Services since early 1999, and in my current role since October of 2000 (In fact, I started out in the glamorous role of Student Assistant on Aug 23, 1996!)  In addition, I have had the pleasure to work for the university in a freelance capacity, as a volunteer, and as an adjunct faculty member.

As I prepare to leave, I find myself reflecting on a job that, surprisingly, evolved into my career.   I can’t overstate how much I appreciate how UAS, and specifically the ITS department, labored to be flexible with regards to my contract.  Changing to an idyllic 10-month contract really worked for me, eliminating a sense of burnout and renewing my drive to contribute to the university in other ways.

The University of Alaska Southeast has been very good to me and I will be making every effort to return to it just as soon as our travels are complete.

Sincerely

Arlo Midgett

I would have thought I would be overjoyed to leave work behind for a year, but for some reason, I’ve actually been enjoying my job recently.  I may actually miss it; color me surprised.