Saying goodbye (pt 3)

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This is around the time that saying goodbye to people began to get real for me. I had been mentally preparing for living in Milan, as well as a more intense research life, for quite a while. It had not yet hit me that being in Milan meant not being with my friends, and family. It sounds silly now that I think about it, but I pushed the sadness of saying goodbye to people behind my excitement for such an exhilarating opportunity, and thus didn't experience the sadness until it became a reality. I spent my last full week in Seattle week half-assedly packing, but mostly spending time with friends and my mom (also a friend, but deserves her own recognition).



That weekend, the 22nd-24th of August, I somehow convinced several friends to come camping on the west coast of the Olympic peninsula. It ended up being about a 6 hour trip to get over there, yet 9 people still showed up! We all returned together on the ferry on Sunday (first, second, and third pictures) except for Conor and his friend Adam who drove the opposite direction (not pictured, but equally important to the weekend - sorry bros!). It was amazing to get that much quality time with everyone, yet sad because it was the last time I got to a spend a significant time with anyone of them for quite a while.

I spent the 25th and 26th packing, and realizing how stupid I was for not doing more of it sooner. Typical me. Despite the last minute packing, I got almost everything I needed and even managed to have a going away dinner with friends in the U-district (special thanks to my mom and roommates for helping out so much that day to make sure it all got done as quickly as possible!!) On the 25th I had a last dinner with my mom, roommates, girlfriend, girlfriend-in-law (Katie) and dogs (fourth picture.) Early on the 27th, we're talking 4 AM early, my mom and girlfriend, Kaili, drove me to the airport to begin my journey (fifth and sixth picture). While I was excited to get over to Milan, saying the last two goodbyes were incredibly hard. Lucky for me, I'll only have to wait a few months to see them both again! Kaili will likely visit in November, while my mom and brother will probably come visit in December or January! yay! The fact that I will only have to go a few months without seeing the both of them made it much easier to say goodbye, but not less sad.



And with that.. my life in Milan begins.

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Comments

[Jeri jones]

great time with friends and family
I wish I could remember all the conversation, each word, each gesture... but the picture says alot, as do your thoughts. love you