Saying goodbye to work and downtown Minneapolis

I’m officially done! Today is my last day of work at Ameriprise and my last day working in downtown Minneapolis. While I’ll miss the people I’ve worked with at my job over the past eight years, I’ll also miss the city itself. I first started working in downtown Minneapolis at the Grand Hotel in January of 2001. It was the perfect college job. Flexible hours, descent pay, a free meal and incredible stories. After graduating from college, my job at 3M took me to the other side of the Twin Cities for a few year, but I jumped at the opportunity to work downtown again when I came across a job posting at Ameriprise which was right up my alley.

There are quite a few people who detest the idea of working downtown. It’s crowded, expensive and the traffic can be a nightmare. But the issues that most people complain about have never really bothered me. Having grown up in a large city, I’ve always been used to the noise and the fast pace of downtown living/working. I love walking through the skyways, popping in and out of shops (even though I rarely buy anything) and even recognizing the faces of hundreds of people who I’ve walked past countless times. Since I’m quite frugal, I always look for the cheapest place to park. This usually means I end up parking on the edge of downtown and walk 10-12 blocks to and from work every day. As you know, a half mile walk in Minneapolis can be quite pleasant in Spring, Summer and Fall, but the sub-zero temperatures of the winter months can be unbearable. But that’s what makes the experience of working here so memorable.

I’m really looking forward to life in Italy. I’ll be able to spend a lot more time with Rachel and the girls, but I’ll honestly miss my daily routine, the people I’ve worked with and the great city of Minneapolis.