I didn't serve a mission, but maybe this is what a mission feels like? After spending two years somewhere and really getting to know the culture, the people, my surroundings, the ins and the outs of the city, I have to pack up and leave, wondering what it will be like the next time I come to this place as merely a visitor, not a resident. It's bittersweet. No matter how excited I am to move on with my life, and begin an entirely different journey, there are still moments when I have to remind myself that the sweetness in my journey ahead is all that matters right now. But it's never easy to say goodbye. It's never easy to move on from what is so familiar. And it's most definitely never easy to leave family behind, knowing I will never get back the experiences and time I've had while living with a sister, and having another one just an hour an a half away. One can always replace a favorite shirt, or a new pair of shoes, but replacing time with family is simply irreplaceable. Come Friday, I will probably be an emotional wreck, as I turn and say goodbye and close the door behind me, on my Fort Scott Drive house, one last time. How sad it will be to close the door and walk away, leaving DC and the memories behind. I have no doubt that this is what I'm supposed to be doing, and let's face it, love makes us all a little crazy at times. So, despite what some may think, I'm following my heart, and I'm doing what I know to be the best decision I have really ever had to make thus far in my life. The memories of DC will always be with me, and DC will always hold a special place in my heart. I've had more experiences than I ever thought possible in just two years, and I know I'm a better person today because of them. Two years flies by, and even with a room full of packed boxes, I'm having a hard time believing the end is here. But it is, and that's that. Thankfully I didn't have to vanish too quickly, and I got to enjoy one of the best things DC has to offer, the cherry blossoms! I love DC. I may have not always acted like I love it out here, but in retrospect, DC is a unique place, and I know that no matter where I end up in life, nowhere will be quite like the place I've called home for the last 713 days.
