Great Friends, Great Family

Today we had my going away party and I had such a wonderful time! The party was hosted by my amazing friend Jessica and her husband Shawn. It was one last chance to see my friends before I leave, a chance to say goodbye to those people who ground me. Today I realized again how lucky I am to have such great friends. My friends for years have been willing to see me only on weekends, to listen to my stories of travel across the country and the world, and who supported me through some really tough times. Hopefully they don't get too jealous hearing stories from around the world!

Of course, my family was also there. My mom, my sisters & brother and my nephew where all in attendance. This comes as no shock, since I have been blessed with a very close-knit family. They are always there when I need them, telling me funny stories when I am sad, giving me advice whether I ask for it or not, and just enjoying spending time together. I'm so grateful to have all of them. It is always so much fun to celebrate with my family, my high school friends and my college friends in one place!

While my wonderful friends hosted the party, I took the opportunity to experiment and made a cake. I love making cakes, so I take every opportunity I get to make one. In the spirit of the day, I thought it was only fitting to create the whole world!

Having the party has also made everything so much more real. I have been talking about taking this trip for years now, and only recently have I started to belive that it will actually happen. Realizing there are people who I won't see for months, some who I won't see for more than a year, is such a humbling thought. I've been thinking about how much my life might change over the course of the trip, the thoughts and experiences I will have, and what my life will be like when I return. I'm also sad about the things that I will miss while I'm gone - babies being born, the first day of kindergarten, birthdays & holidays, and normal things like having lunch together or watching a movie. So much life happens in one year, and I have started to realize that I will miss many of those moments.

But today? Today I simply spent time with the people I love.