Hello, Goodbyes

 I spent most of my day today with my best friend and wonderful cousin Brianne and her gorgeous daughter Layla. We went grocery shopping, visited my aunt at work, watched TV, and I fed Layla Cheez-its and white chocolate while her mom cleaned the carpets in the back of her apartment. All was going well until I was leaving and we both simultaneously realized that I only had a week left here before I left for Mass. Only a week. It feels like I got here just yesterday and even though I've spent every single day with my family, it still doesn't feel like enough. There just aren't enough hours in three weeks to get my fill of them before it's time to say good-bye.

But really that's what my life feels like it's made of... Good-byes... No matter where I go or what I do there is someone to say good-bye to and another person or people to miss. I guess it's mostly my fault because I don't go to school near my family and I've been to four different universities since I started college four years ago (holy moly). But it being my fault doesn't make it any less difficult to leave. Sometimes I felt ready to go (Berkeley), sometimes I was upset to leave (Boston) and sometimes I was absolutely unprepared and feeling like I was missing out on so much by leaving (France, and again right now). However, in the end, I know that my life is following a path that, although strange, broken and unpredictable, has led me to some incredible places, introduced me to some incredible people, and made me experience some incredible things. I just have to focus on the fact that the rest of my life will be no different and everything will somehow work out in ways I can't even imagine right now... and that I'll be done with college and back home with Brianne, Layla and the rest of my family for the summer. 

To lighten the mood before I go, this is a photo of me and Chief where we're both pretending to be pugs. I think I win.