so long and thanks for all the figurative fish
On February 13, my journey with Reclaim Hosting will come to an end. Though, hopefully not like the fate of a sperm whale that had suddenly been called into existence several miles above the surface of an alien planet. Maybe more like all the dolphins on Earth flying out of the oceans and into another dimension, with a grateful goodbye.
Seriously though, I am so so incredibly happy to have found such an awesome group of people at Reclaim. To think I was gawking at the incredible work they do at the Domains19 conference, and just months later I was working along-side them! I had no idea what went on behind the curtains, and when I found a job listing in December 2019, little did I know the amazing backstage experiences to come.
(Here is a never-before-posted picture of me in a vault of the 21C Museum Hotel where the conference was held. I am holding the DKC’s Domainosaur, of course, to protect him from the robbers! To this day I wonder what that spooky blur is in the bottom of the frame, but I like to think it’s a thwarted ghost burglar).
Every person I have worked with at Reclaim has been wonderful, and that’s no exaggeration. Their passions, interests, quirks, and simple company has made Reclaim feel like so much more than an office job. I didn’t think a group of people could be so good at being productive and serious about their work while also having fun and keeping things light. And the whole retro, eclectic, creative vibes that Reclaim runs on is (for a sorry lack of a more accurate synonym) infectious. There is a greater sense of Purpose imbued in the company, the employees, the office space, the online space, that all come together to put Reclaim in a class of its own.
Today, all 9 of us met and had a blast playing games for an hour. It was such a nice sendoff, being able to meet one last time (cue Hamilton) with everyone I have had the pleasure of working with for over a year. Being at Reclaim has been an experience I will never forget, and that sure is the understatement and cliche of the century. Despite my guilt about leaving the one-of-a-kind Reclaim family, they have encouraged me to follow what I am passionate about, and I am infinitely grateful for that.
“But why in the world would you ever leave something you say is so amazing??”
Because of the somewhat cheesy quote printed on half of the merchandise at state parks, by the brilliant John Muir, “The mountains are calling and I must go.”
Well… there may or may not be mountains. See, I am joining Americorps NCCC (National Civility Conservation Corps). I will be spending about 10 months serving America across a region of 15 states, my assigned region being the North-Central Region. A team of ~8 young adults between the ages of 18 and 26 does whatever work it is assigned. This could be working in parks clearing hiking trails, helping a city food bank, building houses, and other service projects. I won’t know what projects I will be doing until a couple days before each project (or “spike”).
“You won’t know where you’re going until right before? Sounds a bit secretive…”
My dad thinks I’m going off to be a spy. (And who knows? Maybe I am?) Other family keeps asking me “when will you know where you’re going” and I keep responding “I won’t know until just before each project”, though that doesn’t stop them from asking a couple weeks later. I know that means they’re just excited for me, and I wish I could know ahead of time too!
It’s going to be months of living out of a duffel bag, following a military-esque schedule and dress code, and doing hard work. But, I will be with a group of others who also want to help better the country, and we will be traveling to new places and meeting new people. What happens after Americorps is still in the works, and I know it’ll be hard to beat the standard Reclaim has set.
I am going to attempt to keep up blogging while I am away, in order to have a place to store memories, share photos, etc. I might not always have WiFi, let alone cell service, but I’m going to do my best to post when I can! I hope there isn’t an echo of a hollow promise there…
