our last day as coworkers

myself, jaymi and jena at a photo shoot last fall

It’s a bittersweet day here in Smith & Emma land, as it marks the last day Jena and I will share an office. She’s moving on to much bigger and better opportunities and I’m staying behind at the job we once shared. How exciting for her! How sad for me! Definitely both bitter and sweet.

Jena gave me my first job out of college. My resume ended up in her hands and here we are almost a year and a half later. I still remember our first phone call. Seems ridiculous now. I was sitting outside a tanning salon; she had called to ask me to come in for an interview. Little did I know at the time, that I was speaking to someone who would soon become one of my favorites.

When I started here, Jena was running a one-man show. She seemed invincible and on top of her game. Through lots of changes, both personal and professional... She still is. I’ve learned a lot from our friendship both inside and outside of the office. She’s encouraged me to become a better writer, fight for what rightfully belongs to me, and has pushed my beliefs. We swap book recommendations, grammar rules and dating stories. Most of that won’t change.

Who knows what the future holds, but for us, I’m looking forward to conversations that don’t revolve around the office. And for her, I’m looking forward to the excitement of starting something new and seeing where this path takes her. She’s a rock star so I have no doubts she’s gonna kick some ass in the months ahead. Congratulations, lady! You have big things in store for you.