In Case I Don’t See You: Good Afternoon, Good Evening, and Good Night.
Today is June 10th. I leave for London in five days. Absolute madness!! I have packed and repacked my suitcase a few times. They are so freaking big. I will definitely look insane rolling them around.
The worst part about leaving is saying goodbye to my friends and family. My first goodbye was with the baby I nannied and her family. I spent every day in their home getting to play and cuddle with their sweet baby Eva. That was a tough goodbye, and an omen for what was ahead for me. Next, I said goodbye to my friend Clarke Vincent. Clarke is one of my closest friends. He always takes the time to talk to me, to listen, to share wisdom, and makes me laugh like no other. I adore him. And when I come home, he will have a baby!! Absolute insanity! This goodbye was a gut punch. But it only got worse from there.
My next goodbye was to my aunt, uncle, and cousins Julia and Ella. In Austin, they are the closest relatives I have. I spent numerous weekends at their house, eating their food, and forcing them to watch my new favorite movie or tv shows. Julia and Ella are two of my favorite people in the world. We’re all very similar, Ella and I the most, so I always feel safe and warm being with them. When I hugged Julia and Ella goodbye, I shed my first real tears over this trip.
My family returned home, and Jacob went to visit them, so those goodbyes were pretty tough, but at 4am I wasn’t fully there. My dad left a note for me, and while I will not share what it said, I will say it made me cry. Thanks dad. The truth is, I wouldn’t have seen them for about six months anyway, so this goodbye while still hard, was not as hard as one would think.
Next is my best friend and roommate, and that one will be a doozy. Then my cousins Amy and Sara, which that one’s gonna hurt too. My godparents and their family will be after that. And then lastly both sets of grandparents and my dog. It’s just getting more and more real, and I for some reason still haven’t fully accepted it. But I’m excited. I am. Just sad about leaving people behind. It’s brutal having to say a big goodbye. I don’t recommend it lol. But this opportunity is too good to spend time being sad about “see ya laters”. It’s very strange living out of two suitcases, and then realizing that’s all I get for six months is very frightening. What if I forget something important? Did I really bring enough sweaters?? Did I bring too many? Most of my worries are related to clothing. But it’s ok. It will be fine. If I don’t have enough clothes, I’ll just buy more (hehehe). These next days are important. The “see ya laters” are important. I’m just gonna relax. Take a deep breath, because I’m about to dive into the deep end, and I’m ecstatic.