Goodbyes ~ I Hate 'Em

I knew when we decided to move to China that saying goodbye was something I would have a lot of practice with. What I didn't know was that once we got to China the goodbyes wouldn't stop. 

Like most people, I don't like goodbyes. No matter how much we say things won't change, they always do. Yeah, yeah, yeah I know change is not always bad, just different. In many ways, most of my relationships back home have been enhanced while I've been gone. Must be something about working harder at it and not taking it for granted.

Before the big move I thought that my friends back home were my real friends. I thought that two years would be too short of a time to really bond and make a true lasting friendship. Yes, we haven't had the time to grow together as friends over time but there is something more powerful than time to bond us together. Friends depend on each other on a whole new level in an expatriate situation. We are far from our families, experiencing a new culture with all it's surprises and adventures. That is some powerful bonding power. 

I am grateful for all of my friends, 
no matter what continent they are on.

But with the good comes the bad. Being an expat is a temporary thing for most people. And temporary homes are the breeding ground for goodbyes. I never realized how hard it was going to be when a friend breaks the news that she is moving away. Sadly, I have heard it many times in the last year. 

It reminds me to appreciate my time with anyone I care about a little more each day.

Whether it is a friend who unexpectedly didn't return to China from her summer trip to the states or my sister who has moved from California to Washington, I still don't like goodbyes. They are hard. They symbolize a turn in the road. 

I much prefer hellos!

A hello and a goodbye!
Hubby stopped through CA and saw my parents.
Lucky him!