Every End Leads to Another Beginning

Yesterday was weird. It was my last day of the internship I started almost 10 months ago. I woke up early and put everything into Rambo (my jeep). That car is a monster! Not only did he hold all of the stuff from my room but he also took on all of my horse stuff: a big old box of tack and three saddles! BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! I also fit a bike in there too.

Bam! Go buy yourself a Jeep, you won't regret it! But I digress. It was an absolute beautiful day, and all of the interns were both excited and sad. There was a short ceremony and we all shared our favorite memory, what God has been teaching us, and where we will be going next. Then there were pictures, lots of hugging, the typical goodbye shenanigans. Some people were harder to say goodbye to than others, and some didn't even say goodbye. Eight of the interns are staying at Timber-lee for this summer, three are heading to other camps in the area, and then there is me. Both staying and leaving are hard for separate reasons. Leaving: you are leaving all the other people who are staying, you just have the memories. Staying: you have the place and the memories, but maybe not the people who accompany them.

I left yesterday afternoon with a Jeep full of stuff and a head full of memories, and I went home. I was greeted with warm hugs, a cold beer, and fresh brownies. (It is jealousy you are feeling right now.) I unpacked the unhealthy amount of stuff from my Jeep, and began unpacking, purging, and repacking all of my stuff from both home and camp. So far I have four bags of clothes I am getting rid of and lots of garbage. It feels refreshing. Then I ate Chipotle with my parents out on the patio, watching the birds and the water. As the sky darkened and the Hawks battled back and forth, my endless search for apartments grew tiring and I opted for bed. I was talking with Codi (my best friend) and he said him and the guys were hanging out in their basement watching Netflix, a typical activity that occurred. And I couldn't help but have a desire to be there too, and knowing that I probably will never watch Netflix in that basement with those guys again made my heart sad. But I am grateful for those relationships and knowing that those won't end. And then I went to sleep.

Waking up this morning was weird. I have a lot of things that I need to do before I can leave in 4/5 days. I know they will all get done, because, well, they have to. I will miss the past 10 months that I shared with that community of people. I have grown to love them all in one way or another. I am thankful for the impact they have had on my life and all the memories they gave me. This year is not one that will be forgotten.

And as one journey comes to a close, another one opens. Here's to another adventure!