See You

The goodbyes, or “see yous” continued. Of course I would be the last one to leave this country – completely Real World style when they watch the others drive away in the taxis before them. We said goodbye to Central with one more last minute shopping trip across the harbor. We said goodbye to campus after our last exam and a few pictures around campus. Maria was the next to leave, which was not pretty. Her flight actually got delayed so we had an entire extra day to see her and she actually needed it for packing and mailing stuff so that worked out. Again, we all gathered on the ground floor and the boys carried her bags out to the taxi stand. It was obvious Maria did not want to leave, and we didn’t want her to either. I didn’t feel like I was saying goodbye though. I think we both knew that we really would see each other again which was comforting.

Maria leaving

The next day was when EVERYONE left (practically). A group of about 20 were all on the same flight to Thailand together. Debbie, Felix, Margaux, Yvie, Meli, Lorena, Christine, Jon, Rasmus, Tobias, Lauren, Daniel, Diogo, and Sam all left at once. Disaster. Margaux called me in a panic because she wasn’t packed and they were all about to leave her so I ran to her room and helped her pack up her stuff and lug it to her friend’s room for while she was gone. We got down to the ground floor just before everyone started walking out to call taxis. I went through the group hugging everyone and all of the girls crying. Sam tried to refuse saying goodbye to me because he knew I would be crying, obviously he didn’t get away with that. Andrew and I and a few of the British girls (the only people left) helped everyone with their stuff and sent them in their taxis to the airport. Poor Andrew was stuck with me being depressed until we left for the airport the next day. Thank goodness we were distracted by packing and a bit of sleeping so I did not have to think too hard about us actually leaving this amazing, life-changing place and all of the intriguing, beautiful, and talented people we had met here.