So Long and Thanks for all the Fish

In the middle of summer 2008 my family and I left our home in the extreme northern tip of the Idaho panhandle on a five day adventure that took us twenty-one-hundred miles across nine states and through some of the hottest, most stress-filled days of our lives to arrive in Spring Hill, Tennessee which was our home for the next year until we moved again to Nashville, TN this time it was only thirty-five miles, but it cut my daily commute from two hours down to forty minutes and it allowed us to live a fuller life in the year and almost one half since.

My time in Nashville, and even those twelve long months in Spring Hill have been the best of my life so far, well, you know barring the births of my sons, meeting my best friend and wife forever, my first kiss/car/beer, you get the gist. I love Tennessee, it has been home, and it will always hold a piece of my larger than average, but quite normally sized for my height, heart. I will miss a lot of things and people and places within this great state. For the first time in a long while I have friends I’ll miss dearly and connections to a place that I can’t just turn and walk away from.

In Tennessee, I found family, not blood family, but better. I found Jesus. I found myself and I found Magic again.

There comes a time for everything, that marks it’s end. The end of our time in Nashville, and the south draws near. On November 28th, Amy, Liam, Bryce, Cameron, our pets and I, will get into our 2004 Dodge Dakota, and make another long journey to a new horizon. This time the trip will include eight days, seven states, thirty-four-hundred-miles and hopefully less stress.

We’re moving to Seattle, WA.

Why Come?

In July of this year, I realized that I had made a grave mistake in leaving Paramore|Redd for what seemed like greener pastures in a work from home remotely gig out of San Francisco. I was quite unhappy, and I wasn’t being challenged creatively or intellectually, it was not my new job’s fault, not anyone’s fault, it was just me. I had made a mistake. I began a search.

I tried finding a job locally, it was our goal to stay local, in Tennessee. Nobody had a place for me. I slowly figured out that I was a living catch 22, I had a skill set and experience level that everyone wanted, but no one was able or willing to pay for. Again, no one at fault here, just bad timing in a small market. I widened my search.

Once I was looking outside Tennessee a lot of opportunities opened. I was offered a job in Illinois, with a fantastic group of guys, I turned it down only because after visiting and discussion my wife and sons weren’t interested in moving to Illinois. Sometimes I regret not taking that job, if only because it sure would have been fun to work there.

I was taking daily phone interviews at this point, some turned into second phone interviews, others faded away. Two turned into fly in and meet and interview in person deals. Both were in Seattle. After interviewing on separate occasions, yes two different trips to the Emerald City, I was offered both jobs, not at the same time, mind you but close enough together that a decision between them had to be made.

Both jobs were generous and amazing offers to work on incredible and famous projects. Both jobs were in Seattle, a place my family was interested in moving to, and both jobs offered amazing salaries and benefits packages and people to work with.

One job however offered me something the other didn’t, the opportunity to move my skill set and knowledge forward, a way to grow as a designer and developer. So I made two calls.

I accepted a position with Amazon. I am going to be a Senior UX Designer for the Shelfari/Kindle team. I start December 13th.

I’m really excited, but also a bit scared. Amazon’s interview process was the hardest interview of my life. If this job is half as challenging as the interview and pushes me where I’m sure it will, I’ll come out the other end with a wealth of new knowledge about my craft and art.

It’s not goodbye…

It’s just so long. I’ll be back around to visit and I’ll be on the twitters and the facebooks and some of you have my phone number; call, text, write me an email.

Thanks for all the fish.