I Think Boyz II Men Said It Best...

Well, I had planned on penning something substantive for later in the week, but as often is the case with such things, the proverbial cat escaped the bag before I had my ducks in a row. (I was trying to figure out a way to get one more random animal-related cliche into that sentence, but that dog wouldn't hunt.)

(*Also, how bad is it that UGASports is scooping me on my own story? You owe me one, Dash!)

Anyway, as some of you may have heard, I'm leaving.

A couple of months ago, I got a call from the sports editor at my hometown paper in Wilmington, Delaware. They had an opening for a beat writer to cover the Phillies. They wanted to know if I was interested.

As these things go, one thing led to another, and after a few weeks of talking and waiting and talking and debating, I was left with a decision.

On one hand, I had the opportunity to go to a job at a bigger paper, covering a professional baseball beat. More importantly, I had an opportunity to really stick it to all my high school teachers who told me I'd never amount to anything. (Shows what they knew! I'm now mildly successful in an industry that likely won't exist in five years!)

On the other hand, I'd be leaving by far the best job I've ever had, a city I've grown to love, and a group of readers very few reporters are ever lucky enough to have.

Without question, it was the toughest choice I've had to make in my career. In the end though, I figured I'd much rather make a mistake by trying something new than wonder what might have been if I let an good opportunity pass by. But again, it was a decision that didn't come easily.

In any case, I don't want this to be a long, drawn-out monologue about my time here with the Telegraph. Not now, anyway. My last day, officially, won't be until July 17. So hopefully I'll have some time -- and a few more blog posts -- before we need to get all mushy.

Of course, complicating that timeline a bit is another big bit of news for me. I'm getting married on July 3, so much of my last few weeks here… I won't actually be here. So there's that.

(Why do I suddenly feel like a parent who leaves his kids in a hot car with the windows rolled up while he goes into the 7-11 to buy lotto tickets?)

Anyway, I can tell you this: A number of absurdly qualified candidates have already submitted resumes for the job, so I have no doubt you'll be in good hands in the future. And in the meantime, I'm hoping to make sure there's still some decent stuff for you to read until the new guy gets on board.

Again, I'm definitely excited for a new opportunity and a chance to go back home again. But it's bittersweet, to say the least.

But rather than dwell on the future, how about a discussion topic out of this? Let's say you were just a few weeks away from leaving Athens. What would be on your to-do list? Restaurants? Bars? Clubbing with Stacy Searels? I'm officially taking suggestions.