We Only Part to Meet Again

Jake and Connor left this morning in what I would define as a flurry--up at 10:05 and out the door by 10:20! We celebrated our final night together and had a late night filled with lots of talking and reminiscing about the past.  The three days there were here flew by and we crammed in so many different activities.  After a late arrival Friday night, they were introduced to far too many people for them to remember.  We had a nice lazy morning, breakfast at Benson, then a spur of the moment trip down to Santa Cruz.  Unfortunately the weather was not amazing but then again it is January.  We found ourselves running from Swig to the CalTrain station only to arrive ten minutes early.  We continued to navigate the public transportation system and arrived in Santa Cruz only to be greeted by a pleasant drizzle reminding me of springtime in Washington.  We wandered down the the beach, strolled along the boardwalk and took pictures from the pier.  After a late lunch/early dinner, we followed our tracks home and had a fun night mainly inside the dorms with a bunch of friends.  After yet another late morning we decided to take it easy and watch a movie in bed.  We didn't really get our day going until the late afternoon when we all decided to take a much needed shower and head into Santana Row for a delicious dinner at The Counter--my favorite burger place I've encountered here so far!  After a lengthy dinner we all headed back to campus and enjoyed our final evening together.

I cannot believe I can genuinely say I do not know when I will see those boys again.  While I will definitely see them come June, the uncertainty of our next encounter made for a nostalgic goodbye.  With prospects of seeing them in a couple weeks when I visit the girls I was able to not get too sentimental as I have during previous goodbyes.  Saying goodbye has truly been something that has never been easy for me.  However, this summer was a true testament to the reality that some goodbyes are harder than others.  Unfortunately I have found myself becoming  almost numb to the act of leaving simply because leaving home or leaving school is now a frequent occurrence in my new, college life.

The weekend has really worn me out and with several friends coming down with mysterious sicknesses I need to ensure I am getting plenty of sleep and treating my body well.  These next couple weeks will be filled with papers, OL application forms to fill out, and I'm sure countless hours of other homework.  Before I know it Mom will be down for the weekend and a couple weeks after that is Parent's Weekend so a lot is going on and time I'm sure will fly.

Don't be dismayed at goodbyes.  A farewell is necessary before you can meet again.  And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends.  ~Richard Bach