Friendships and Travel. A Goodbye.

I love living abroad.
I love meeting new people.
I love when new people become friends.
I love when friends become your source of comfort, laughter, joy, happiness.
I love when friends listen to your complaints, frustrations, anxieties.
I love when friends comfort you when you're homesick.
I love when friends explore countries, cities, neighborhoods together.
I love when friends send you that kikinitinkorea post that it so true.
I love when friends share wine, meals, cakes, coffee.

I care for them. They care for me. I love them. They love me.

And that's how friendships work.
It's a precious gift.
It takes time to grow.
It takes trust.
It takes love.

If it's your first time in a different place.
Or your hundredth place.
Friends will keep you going.
Will keep you laughing.
Will keep you sane.

But then after spending months, maybe years building these beautiful friendships,
A terrible day comes.
The day when you have to say goodbye.

As an expat, I knew this day was coming.
I can resist, but saying goodbye is inevitable.
I don't regret making new friends.
But damn, this is hard.
Really hard.

I spent time growing these friendships.
And now I must leave them.
Leave them to grow in distance.

I give a piece of my heart to each best friend.
For they will always remain a significant part of my expat life.

So I sit down and share that last meal.
That last drink.
That last conversation.
And I give my friends a hug.
I probably cry.

I say goodbye.

But it won't be last goodbye I ever say.

I now have friends from all over the world.
I now have the best excuse to visit a new country, a new city, a new home.

I now have friendships that were made in Korea.
Made from adventure.
Made with love.

To all of my friends,