So, I just got home from my last inventory and last day in Palo Alto. Inventory went pretty smoothly - I'll be curious to see how we did on our numbers *crosses fingers*.

Leaving a store full of friends and colleagues that you've built strong bonds with is never easy, but every time it becomes less about the sadness and more about the excitement over how far you've come as a team and as an individual. Leaving Palo Alto today was bittersweet. I have met some amazing people in that store and have had the opportunity to work with some extraordinary leaders that I will most definitely miss.

It's funny - in approaching my final days there, many people have told me about how much I have influenced and inspired them, how much I have taught them and that they know I will go on to do great things no matter where or what I do. Some of the people that shared these beautiful and humbling things with me were people that I never would have expected to have had such a profound impact on. People on my team and people that I thought I only interacted with "in passing", so to speak, have shared some touching sentiments that have impacted me deeply.

I underestimate how much we can impact those around us, either positively or negatively, in every aspect of what we do.

I am thrilled and excited to begin my new role as Team Leader in our Berkeley store on Wednesday. I have worked extremely hard to overcome shortcomings, share my passion and love for what I do with those I work with, and empower those around me consistently to get to where I am at and it is a rewarding feeling.

I hope that I never become so jaded, bored or complacent with who I am and what I do that I forget the experiences in Palo Alto and prior that have led me to where I am today. This has been an awesome journey and I am blessed to be doing what I love. I know this new chapter will bring with it an entirely new set of incredible people to meet, challanges to overcome and smiles to share.

I remember when I started at Palo Alto, I was scared. I was excited, but scared. Would I bond with the team(s)? Would I find success? Would I be inspired and grow? All of these things happened and, really, my fears subsided very soon after I began. It's recalling this process and knowing that the fears were unnecessary then, that has strangely kept the fear aspect relatively at bay this time around.

I look toward Berkeley with a confident and humble smile rather than the somewhat meek and hopeful smile that I entered Palo Alto with. I look forward to learning from my new team, teaching them all that I can and watching us all grow together.

I love my job :)