I said something really profound today...

Today my collegues had a farewell lunch for me and after the ceremonial present giving of course I had to say thank you and I said something really profoud...

"This morning I was driving to work and thought, oh my god, it's Thursday - what am I going to say? I decided not to write a fomal speech and just decided to speak from my heart. In the car I thought about the years I was leaving behind and shed a little tear. So I thought - no I won't talk about that or I'll cry. Koen also promised me that he would not cry - so I am not going to talk about how much I will miss Koen. So this I decided to say ...

three years ago Mike and I were sitting in our spa pool and discussing this oportunity over a bottle of Champagne - or maybe it was good old New Zealand bubbles - I don't know. Anyway Mike said "what do you think?" And I said, "well I do not want to be on my death bed and think - oh I wonder what it would have been like" - so he said...that's it's then we go! So we made the decision in 5 minutes and now at least I know what it was like.

You each know it was a big challenge - it was a big challenge moving countries, but with challenge comes reward and the reward for me was growth. I grew tremendously as a person and I got to meet some wonderful people and I got to do some wonderful things...I got to buy a BMW at half the price it would have cost in New Zealand, I got to live in the same country as my sister for the first time in 10 years, I got to buy a new house - soon - but most of all I got to work with some wonderful people and some of you, as you know I am proud to call my friends.

What I think I will miss is the comaraderie - and as I am going to work as an independedent - that will be a big gap for me. You guys have a great team here and you should cherish that. The testimony to that is what we did when we got together last year and produced what we did for the Christmas party, the best team building I think we could have ever done. I really enjoyed that party - and I will miss the christmas parties, the team buildings and the breakfasts.

Thank you all for the little impression that each of you have made on me. You all make me the person that I am today and for that I thank you....

Now I guess you can all have dessert?"