Goodbye

It's been a week of lasts. You know how it is: there was the last round of drinks at the pub, last conversations and goodbyes with various people, last sunset from the balcony, last wandering down Queen Street. As I hate lasts with a burning passion (whatever memories you have are already firmly cemented) I'd say I'm ready to leave now. It's been an incredible four months filled with things I never would have predicted and more than most people do in a lifetime.

At the same time, I confess I don't want to go for one main reason: I am leaving right now without a hint of when I might be back, and this frightens me. How can I give up my mountains or my city without knowing if I will see them again? And even if I do return it will never be the same: I will never again be the 21-year-old physics student living in O'Rorke Hall, and while I might meet up with some people later there are definetely some I won't see again. I realize this happens a lot in life, but it's rarely so definite a close as knowing your plane is leaving at 9:45pm on Monday, June 18...

There's also the question of what to do with this blog, as it was begun as a New Zealand travelogue for my friends back home and that purpose shall be gone in a few hours. Right now it's tenatively going to continue for various reasons, as I still have quite a few journeys and misadventures planned (I will have a free day in Los Angeles tomorrow, in New Hampshire by next weekend...). So things should work out for now.

Anyway, I need to pack up the laptop soon so this will be the end of that. But as a last few words, I'd like to say thank you, New Zealand. You were really wonderful, kind, and gracious to this young woman, and I shall be forever obliged.

Alrighty then, that's it for now! Catch you guys on the flipside.