Saying goodbye

I feel the changes coming. I think part of it has to do with my project at work wrapping up and our team of a few hundred coworkers disbanding, contractors returning to their hometowns, good friends going back to the Bellingham office, and others just fading out of my life like a cloud that was here for a moment and then vanished. I don't mean to sound all emo, but it is a little bit sad. My last day of work was pretty bittersweet. On one hand, I had to say bye to some of my new friends that I've worked closely with for the last several months, and together we had done a pretty challenging design on a tough schedule, so I think we had bonded beyond what normal coworkers do (much love, Process!). But on the other hand, it means it's time to start getting ready for the trip, which gets me extremely excited!

Sometimes things have too good of timing to be coincidence. Quick backstory: My buddy Collin and I julk around a lot. We send nonsensical texts to each other, filled with terribly spelt words, terrible grammar, and emoticon symbols that don't make any sense at all. I'm really going to miss it. Collin loves some phrases and quotes, and we usually use them at times when they don't work at all. But tonight, this normally routine text carried a lot more weight than they usually do. I had finally bought my plane ticket, and it really should have taken me 5 minutes, but I was able to drag that five minute transaction to over an hour. It's really easy to waste your life away on the interwebs. But I think I was procrastinating because it was all feeling very real. Over the past two days I had to say bye to three of my close friends, including my first friend when I moved to Oregon over a decade ago. Not that I was having second thoughts, but I've been thinking more about the whole decision of packing up and moving. You might be thinking those sound the same, but... well yeah maybe they are. Don't judge me. But I finally got the balls to buy the ticket. March 5th, I'll be leaving Oregon and March 8th, the country. Moments after purchasing the ticket, I get a text from Collin with one of his favorite quotes that he likes to jokingly say, improper grammar and all.

I thought about just typing the quote and describing the symbols, but everyone likes pictures more, I don't even care how old you are. I think I even learned that in my senior year of college. It's like that common phrase, "The current rate of exchange is 1,000 words to one picture", which to be honest doesn't seem like it accounts for the current inflation of words in our society. Economics majors out there, can you confirm this?

Saying goodbye isn't fun. I'm talking long-term goodbyes, not like a see-ya-in-a-bit goodbye. But they can kill your mood, whether it is for a few minutes, or maybe a few days, depending on how close I was to the person. But in a way, goodbyes can be awesome. Hear me out. Goodbyes often mean that someone is encountering a change or something big in their life, and there is excitement within that. Normally, I'm the one watching the other person go on their adventure, and I'm not too sad about it because I know they've got something great ahead of them, but this time I'm on the other end of the goodbyes. The other night I was hanging out with some friends, and we were all at a country bar, dancing and stuff, really having some Good Times (Get it? Like the song?), but at the end of the night I had to say goodbye to some really close friends. Normally this would be a sadder occasion, but they, along with another handful people who I had just met that night, sent me off with an amazing time of prayer, of speaking Godly words over me, of prophesying about my future and of encouraging the crap out of me. It was amazing. That's the type of goodbye that feels right. Although we'll all miss each other, they left me with a blessing that brings me so much joy and excitement for what God is doing in my life and more-so what he is doing in the community down at Western Oregon. 

So as I go, I don't want you to be sad but to be full of excitement for whatever the future will bring, so when we say bye let's not make it a sad occasion, but a happy one! I'm going to give you a big, real hug, no A-frame crap (sorry Young Life), no side-hugs, not even the bro clasp-hands-then-do-a-one-shoulder-hug hug. You know the one I'm talking about. Unless that's your favorite hug ever, then I guess we can compromise. I'm sorry that I won't get to say bye to every one of you, but just know that I more than appreciate you reading this and appreciate the friendship you've given me while we've known each other. I am so thankful to have met every one of you and know I wouldn't be where I am without you having been in my life, so thank you!!