Saying goodbye...

"...you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone." How very true...

Today has been incredibly difficult...packing, cleaning, visiting...laughing...crying...can it really be over? Today I spent a great deal of time with my "other apartment" (#1), just talking, listening, reflecting...enjoying their company. I have had few guy-friends like these 5 young men, and leaving them is proving to be harder than I expected...I spent time praying for one of them in particular tonight, as he is facing some uncertainties once he returns home...my heart aches for his situation, and I wish more than anything that I could make the pain go away...

I had to say goodbye to two of my dear friends tonight, with more goodbyes tonight and tomorrow...I hate saying goodbye. Each time I have to say goodbye to someone I love it gets a bit harder. Yet, I know that this is a necessary step in my continuing journey through life...

However, I do not only have to say goodbye to people...I have to say goodbye to this wonderful city which I have come to call "home." This city so full of life, culture, history...so full of wonder. I have to leave this city which has become so comfortable to go back to Azusa Pacific University, where I have no idea what to expect. Yes, my friends will be there...but they will be different. I am different. Life has gone on without me. I am more and more comfortable with the idea of the unknown, for I know that God knows...therefore, I can trust Him completely and not worry about my life. He is holding me in the palm of His hand, guiding my every step.

My dad comes tomorrow, which will be wonderful...I will be able to take him around "my city," my home. It will be fun to share my knowledge with someone.

What a semester...thank you, Lord, for such a great semester, with some of the most unforgettable people I have ever met. Thank you...