I'm Still Checking My Old Work Email

So here's the thing, I left my job at this tech company a few months ago to start my own little coding project. It was like, the big dream and everything. But you know how it is when you quit something, right? You think about all the people and projects you're leaving behind, even though deep down you know it's for the best. I mean, I did sign a non-compete clause in my contract so there wasn't really any way to go back. But the other day I was just casually browsing through emails when an old work email popped up on my screen, and before I knew it, I had logged into my old account again. It's been almost three months since I left, but every few days, usually right after dinner when I'm kind of bored, I find myself checking in. It's like a reflex. Sometimes I pretend to be looking for an email from a client that never came through, and other times I just go straight there because it's habit. I know this sounds stupid and a little bit pathetic, but every time I open that inbox, I get hit with this nostalgia thing, remembering all the jokes we had in our Slack channel, and how we used to bond over lunch. Even though my new project is going well, and I've got some great stuff happening, there's still this part of me that misses being part of a team like that. And here's the funny part: once or twice when I did check, I even replied to an old work email, figuring it was something urgent. Only to realize it was a simple FYI from weeks ago and all my colleagues were probably just surprised by how quickly I responded without warning them about leaving so abruptly. So yeah, that's the confession, I'm still checking my old company email even though logically I know there's nothing new for me there anymore. Maybe next month it will stop being a habit, or maybe I'll get an actual message from someone back at the office and have to figure out what to do then. Hope this one doesn't sound too much like whining, just trying to admit something that feels silly even as I type it.