Back to work

September 21, 2009 16:28

After a fantastic reunion with my family, I got a good nights sleep and returned to work this morning(82 emails, 31 phone messages).It seems strange to be back at my desk. It seems like such a long time since I have been here. Has it really only been a week? So much has happened these past two weeks.

I am so grateful for having had this opportunity. I expected to work and get to know Patrick and some of the other firefighters, but I was so happy to have been able to meet and get to know the other people involved in the jobswap. The love you have for your occupations and the passion that you show when you speak of your work is inspiring. I really was impressed by what I heard from each of you at the library on Saturday.

It was an honor to have spent a week working with Patrick and the Amsterdam FD. Patrick is such a knowledgeable firefighter, a real pro. He takes his work very seriously, as do the rest of the firefighters, but they definitely know how to have a laugh as well. When we were saying good-bye to the guys at the firehouse on Saturday it felt like I was saying good-bye to people I have known for years. I didn't want to leave.

This has been an unbelievable experience. I really hope that I will meet with the other jobswappers in the future. If any of the Dutch participants visit us, it would be great to get togethor for a drink or something. If the New yorkers wanted to  meet some night in the future, I think that would be fun too. Thanks again to everyone involved and it truly has been a pleasure spending the last couple of weeks with you.

Steve

The Job Swap is an initiative of the Henry Hudson 400 Foundation and BKB, in cooperation with the NY400. The Wildcard contest is organized together with newspapers Het Parool (Amsterdam) and AM New York (New York).