A very hard goodbye once again but this time quite a bit harder. After a chill Saturday of fruehstueck with Suse, some walking, a little shopping, a friend Stefano's basketball game, and some Gilmore Girls, the last day of my trip to Heidelberg had come. Sunday was sadly a day of goodbyes and some very heartfelt moments. Sunday morning I met up with my American girlfriends, Grace and Abby and we had coffee at a cute little breakfast place. They were both very sweet to meet up with me and walk me back to the apartment as we wished each other the best. Then Gerhard picked up Caro and I and we went to watch her little cousin Felix play basketball. I was able to spend some time with Kay, Gonilla, Niklas, Felix, and Katharine one more time and say my goodbyes to them. (Gonilla is Anke’s niece, Kay is Gonilla’s husband) They are such a sweet family and another part of Caro’s family that was so welcoming, made me feel like part of the family,will be missed and forever be in my heart. They gave me a very sweet going-away gift of photos, of when I first came to Germany, that were placed in a little photo cube. Sooo thoughtful and very cherished. After the game we headed back home for a little afternoon coffee and kuchen and made our way to the USC-HD basketball game. (Another of Caro and I’s Sunday traditions). We, not surprisingly, missed the bus AGAIN so decided to splurge and take a cab so we could actually see the beginning of the game for once. It was a great game and afterward we followed another tradition and went to our favorite Thai place for dinner. After dinner it was time to do some last minute packing and avoid going to sleep in hopes that the morning wouldn’t come so quickly. In avoidance of the sadness and for a little laughter, we watched a few episodes of Gilmore Girls and then attempted to sleep for a couple hours. Then…. this morning came :( The inevitable goodbye. Why do they have to be so hard? They are especially hard when you leave someone whom you have seen and/or talked to most every day for the past 9 months, someone who has become your best friend, someone who has influenced your life in so many ways in such a short amount of time, and someone who supports you, loves you, helps guide you and understands and accepts you for all that you are. Your heart aches, you’re short of breath, a big knot sticks in the back of your throat, and tears continue to periodically fall from your tired eyes. It seems I have had a couple versions of this experience, more than once and yet it never gets any easier and always hurts like hell; a part of life that we can’t avoid as much as we may try.
At 7:30am this morning, Gerhard and Caro gave me a ride to the Frankfurt airport. It was a pretty quiet trip but very meaningful. After an hour and a half, we made it to the airport, I checked my bags in, and we had a little breakfast. We shared some laughs, some hugs, and some tears and then the time came for me to pass through the gates and step on a plane taking me to the other side of the world once again. While crossing the point allowed for passengers only, I couldn’t stop turning back to wave goodbye, not wanting to let go, not wanting to face my extreme sadness or deal with the fact that I was actually leaving and not coming back for a while. It was a pretty awful feeling. Now, I’ll give myself the chance to grieve a little and then push forward as I always do. I guess it’s time for another adventure; a new chapter. The mind of a man plans his way but the Lord directs his steps….so here I go. It's gonna be a busy next couple of weeks apartment hunting and starting a new job. But never will I forget the chapter that is now coming to an end. Even if it didn't go quite as I had planned, I came out pretty good after a little decision last June to work at a kids camp in the middle of nowhere, California. It, so surprisingly, led me up to a chance to live in a new country, knowledge of a new language, meeting a new group of family, and being blessed with another amazing best friend. Things always happen for a reason and I can give you so many other examples of events in my life that have ultimately led me here. Interesting how we sometimes don’t actually see the reason for some of those evnets until a good chunk of time down the road, if even at all. All I know is… Germany, so unexpectedly, now holds a piece of my heart and always will. Goodbye Heidelberg :( …Hello Chicago :)
At 7:30am this morning, Gerhard and Caro gave me a ride to the Frankfurt airport. It was a pretty quiet trip but very meaningful. After an hour and a half, we made it to the airport, I checked my bags in, and we had a little breakfast. We shared some laughs, some hugs, and some tears and then the time came for me to pass through the gates and step on a plane taking me to the other side of the world once again. While crossing the point allowed for passengers only, I couldn’t stop turning back to wave goodbye, not wanting to let go, not wanting to face my extreme sadness or deal with the fact that I was actually leaving and not coming back for a while. It was a pretty awful feeling. Now, I’ll give myself the chance to grieve a little and then push forward as I always do. I guess it’s time for another adventure; a new chapter. The mind of a man plans his way but the Lord directs his steps….so here I go. It's gonna be a busy next couple of weeks apartment hunting and starting a new job. But never will I forget the chapter that is now coming to an end. Even if it didn't go quite as I had planned, I came out pretty good after a little decision last June to work at a kids camp in the middle of nowhere, California. It, so surprisingly, led me up to a chance to live in a new country, knowledge of a new language, meeting a new group of family, and being blessed with another amazing best friend. Things always happen for a reason and I can give you so many other examples of events in my life that have ultimately led me here. Interesting how we sometimes don’t actually see the reason for some of those evnets until a good chunk of time down the road, if even at all. All I know is… Germany, so unexpectedly, now holds a piece of my heart and always will. Goodbye Heidelberg :( …Hello Chicago :)
The goodbye sounds like the summer of 2002.
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