Good things. Because sometimes there just aren't enough good things, and they're worth pointing out.

I've said something like this before, but it bears repeating: in terms of net positive effects on my life, CodeCon is about the best thing that's ever happened to me. Well, unless you count going to work for IDT, since that's how I ended up at CodeCon in the first instance. And going to work for IDT meant getting to know my boss, Andy, who's been an incredibly positive influence in more ways than I can count. In an academic world where people who are supposedly working together so often end up operating at cross purposes, he has always taken the time to wrap his head around the goals I was pursuing, and to provide good advice as to how I could best achieve them. I haven't always taken that advice; witness the fact that I still haven't written that SBIR grant for the Grand Unified Genomic Database Project. But his patience, wisdom, sense of humour, and overall steadfastness have been a great source of stability for me. It's put truth to an aphorism I heard from ben several years ago: "No matter how bad the rest of the world gets, I know I can always go to work."

Recent developments have confirmed that I am, without a doubt, moving to the Bay Area in January. I don't want to talk about details until I've finalised everything, but be assured that enough details have emerged that I am now confident in the feasibility of this plan. And the best part is that I don't even have to terminate my relationship with IDT. If the situation merits, I can go on an extended leave of absence, rather than quitting outright. (This would be very cool, because my 401(k) with them rocks the house.) Andy and I are still going to write a couple of papers, including one QBE-derived one which I can incorporate into my thesis. I get to move forward, and I don't have to leave the best parts of my time with them behind.

Because the best parts, really, are the people, and that's what stands out for me about CodeCon. yoctohedron, enochsmiles, kragen, Nick, Fyodor, Dan, Ian, Roger -- some acquaintances, some friends, some so much more than that now, all people who touched my head and introduced me to even more fantastic people and contributed to my decision that I must go to the Land of the Clever People. (Yeah, even though over half of them don't even live there.) I made the call back in March, though I only told a few people about it at first. I had no idea how I was going to pull it off, only that I had to. That it was the right thing to do.

Again and again, lately, I find myself being rewarded for doing the right thing.

I am the luckiest girl alive.

And in 2006, I'm going to be living near water and mountains, starting a new chapter in this long strange story I call a life without leaving too much from the last chapter behind.

I'm ready. And life is good.