(title taken from a chapter of my favorite book [that has nothing to do with animals])

Sherry mentioned in her post that Larry and I were heading off to wonderful new adventures and that she supposed we’d each write a farewell post. Well, I suppose this is mine.

It was a fateful day in May (I think?) that I first arrived as a volunteer at the museum, at the tender age of 13 (I’m 22 now). When I was almost 18 I got offered a job as a part-time animal keeper, and then in October 2008 I went full time. This was all according to my master plan of getting a full time job for a year (and, er, a half), to save up for a trip of which I’m ever so close to the crumbly precipice. You see, all the while, in addition to being an animal keeper, I’ve also been a musician. The museum is really very intertwined with my music life too. Like: when I was 14, my first gig was opening for our then Youth Partner Coordinator’s band. Also I’ve played at a couple staff parties, at the Science of Coffee event back in April, and blog-wise a song of mine can be heard as the backdrop of this awesome video of our canebrake shedding, and I also made the music (using samples) for Beaker’s Shmear Montage. And sometimes I play my guitar and write songs for the animals (which stays between me and them). You know, private concerts.

This has been such a long time coming that it’s weird it’s already here. My last day of work is July 2nd, and then near the end of July I’ll head out for an indefinite possibly-cross-country-but-kind-of-east-cost-for-now trip/music tour. While I won’t be blogging here (except for guest posts if they’ll let me!) I will be blogging over at my website where you can hear some of my music and keep tabs on me, if you care to: http://ernbrn.com. I’ll also be tweeting all the while @ernbrn.

Not to get all mushy on you, but I’m really very sad to be leaving the museum. I pretty much grew up here and am sad to be leaving all of the people and animals that I really care about, not to mention how lucky I’ve felt and how much I’ve enjoyed getting to be a part of this neato blog  I feel like I’m leaving something I love for something I really love. However, I will definitely keep reading and commenting on the blog and visiting the museum often. So long, and thanks for all the fish! (See: Douglas Adams)