By the way I set up a blog for my mission and the link is here. If you click on that the same day I posted this you will see there is nothing there. That is primarily because I haven't left yet. In case you were concerned I was playing a mean trick. Basically what that blog will consist of are the emails I send home to my family every week, and if I'm able to send any pictures with those emails, then they will be in the blog post as well. But I hear internet is pretty sketchy in Africa, so I have no idea how often there will be pictures. However, I am thinking that before I leave I will post the aforementioned farewell talk on there. For all you people who have more important things to do than come to Louisiana (soooo pretty much everyone).
(But even the alligators are friendly here!)
But speaking of farewells, it's once again a pretty weird time in my life. In some ways this summer has been a bit like last summer. At least as far as the whole feeling of the looming unknown, and the fact that everyone I know is leaving for school before I leave anywhere. But the thing with this summer is that the goodbyes are much, much different than the last. The goodbyes began almost four months ago when I was concluding my winter semester at BYU, and they have continued sporadically up until today, and will continue until the day I leave. But the reason these goodbyes are so different is because with some people it really was goodbye. For whatever reason it just felt like that was it, and that the role in each others lives had come to a close. Whoever those people are they played a very important role in my life, and I would never regret meeting them, because it's all about what you take out of it right? Right.
(That's a door. You often pass through them at some point after saying goodbye)
Then there are those other people. The people you say goodbye to but you both know it really isn't a goodbye. Saying goodbye is just easier and less awkward to say than "Hey, I'll see you in a couple years because I know we'll still be friends and I'm pretty sure you still have a pretty important role to play in my life." But then again maybe I should say that, I'm sure it would make them feel nice to know that. All the same though, saying goodbye is never easy, especially because of the fact that I won't be seeing anyone for two whole years. It's weird because two years can sound like it's not that long, but at the same time it sounds so incredibly long. I mean two years ago I had just turned 17 and was feeling pretty cool because I no longer had an 11 o'clock curfew. The thing is though, it doesn't matter if those two years seem short or long, my true friends are going to be there when I get back. At times during this summer I've put too much thought into my plan for when I get back to school. Of course it is good for me to have a plan, which I do, but I think I was just a bit wary about all the unknowns that are still lying ahead. But then I think about those people and the fact that I have them around, and immediately any concerns go right out the window. Even people who I won't be around, such as Clayton or Mikey. I guess the main point I'm trying to make is that I'm thankful for the people who have come into my life, because it's those people that help me make it through just about anything. And I haven't even mentioned my parents because they are just way to stinking awesome for this blog post ;) All in all, I'm so excited to serve a mission for two years, and so excited to be reunited with everyone when the time comes. But with that said I can honestly say I have no plans to rush through anything, and I'm very okay with an open book ahead of me. I have everything I need to make it through, and I'm so incredibly thankful for that. So basically if you read this entire post you're probably one of those awesome people, and if not well, stop stalking me. Or just send me a package full of good stuff. Or a letter. Or a postcard. Or whatever. Because pretty much anything with a hint of home will probably be a really big boost to my day. Cause Africa is a stinking far away place from home. And the funny thing is that when I say home I don't just mean Louisiana, I mean all of freaking America. And that's a really big place. This has gone on much too long. I tend to ramble on when it comes to any kind of goodbye. But this isn't goodbye... right?
P.S. this post turned serious. Don't worry, my mind still pretty much works like this:
Love that freaking video. And love this post! Is it weird that I feel like your my little brother leaving on a mission? Well, I don't really care that it's weird, so just shut up already.
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