When my husband died, because he was so famous and known for not being a believer, many people would come up to me - it still sometimes happens - and ask me if Carl changed at the end and converted to a belief in an afterlife. They also frequently ask me if I think I will see him again. Carl faced his death with unflagging courage and never sought refuge in illusions. The tragedy was that we knew we would never see each other again. I don’t ever expect to be reunited with Carl. But, the great thing is that when we were together, for nearly twenty years, we lived with a vivid appreciation of how brief and precious life is. We never trivialized the meaning of death by pretending it was anything other than a final parting. Every single moment that we were alive and we were together was miraculous - not miraculous in the sense of inexplicable or supernatural. We knew we were beneficiaries of chance… That pure chance could be so generous and so kind… That we could find each other, as Carl wrote so beautifully in Cosmos, you know, in the vastness of space and the immensity of time… That we could be together for twenty years. That is something which sustains me and it’s much more meaningful…

The way he treated me and the way I treated him, the way we took care of each other and our family, while he lived. That is so much more important than the idea I will see him someday. I don’t think I’ll ever see Carl again. But I saw him. We saw each other. We found each other in the cosmos, and that was wonderful.

Ann Druyan, talking about her late husband, Carl Sagan.

On it you will find fascinating and valuable information such as what car I bought, what I ate for breakfast, and who will be YOUR next American Idol! Or something. Just check it out. And comment so I’m motivated to update it more. Chur.

… Means that I am officially able to enter the US! Huzzah!

Additionally, everything else from my last emo post has since been resolved, so I’m feeling pretty good right about now!

Those aspirations had always been in the back of my mind, while I worked on my Bachelor of Engineering, and worked at Canary. After an initial application attempt to Microsoft in 2008 that was thwarted by the recession, I decided to prepare my CV once again at the end of last year (2009). Without much further thought, I submitted it to Microsoft. Then about a month ago, I received an email that I was to be having an interview over the phone. As far as I could tell, this phone interview went atrociously, but contrary to my expectations I received an email a week later detailing plans to fly me over to Sydney to interview in person with a few recruiters. I arrived back from said flight this morning.

Long story short, I will be moving to Microsoft’s Redmond HQ in Seattle, USA. This will be taking place in late September.

This is pretty much a dream come true, and I’m stoked to actually be seeing those aspirations from so long ago become reality. I have long said that I would not be looking for another job in New Zealand, and I have truly enjoyed my time working at Canary. However, the opportunity to be able to work in another country and see some more of the world was simply too great to pass up. I believe that I will also find more room for personal growth and career advancement in a larger company. By the way, quick plug for our job ad, if you’re a software developer in Auckland.

This change is not without its drawbacks, and I will miss much about my life in New Zealand, not the least of which being proximity to family, and the friends that I have grown close to in Auckland over these last few years. I will miss you all like crazy. I hope to have a blast with my last few months in New Zealand (let’s hit the snow!), and no doubt I’ll be spending the majority of my annual leave here (New Year’s anyone?).

Keep an eye out for some sort of leaving party!

Cheers.

Can’t wait.

In other miscellaneous news, summer is wrapping up, which means that in about 3 months the ski season will be starting again – can’t wait! This year a few of us are planning a week-long South Island trip, which should be totally epic!

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Addendum to key: PHOTOSHOP – 2 HOURS.

Much of my writing is technical, be it discussing or ranting on some technique or technology. Additionally though, I think that as my understanding of the language has increased, so has my interest in being able to express my thoughts to others in a comprehensible and succinct manner. They say that practice makes perfect, and so I find myself using my writing as a test bench for exploring expression of thoughts and feelings just as much as a means of communicating technical information.

Along the same lines, I have found that writing can often help me break down a situation and make sense of my emotions. Occasionally something will happen in my life that turns me into a giant ball of untamed and incomprehensible emotion. By attempting to put my feelings into words in a way that is understandable, I can come to terms with said emotions, and work out their root cause. In this way, writing has become quite an important tool that I can put to use on a personal level.

My writing is still very much a work in progress, and hopefully through this blog and other outlets, it’s something that I will continue to work on and improve throughout my lifetime.