Week #20: Goodbyes That Hurt Are Goodbyes That Matter.

My 2016

Week #20

Goodbyes That Hurt Are Goodbyes That Matter.

Well, it's official. An entire school year has been completed, and right now I'm writing this from a couch in my living room in Appomattox, Virginia. I finally made it home, and I couldn't be happier about it.

As I finished packing up my apartment and was laying in bed on Friday night, I realized that due to some unforeseen circumstances, I had completely missed saying goodbye to almost everybody in the theatre department. This is SO unlike me; usually I am running all over the place, trying to find everyone for one last hug and "see you in 3 months." I value goodbyes. I need closure with people.

There's also something else you need to know. This year was a rough one; I felt lonely and isolated for a majority of it, and it was only during spring quarter that I truly began to make real friends and feel like I belonged with a group of people. To find myself so sad about leaving made me indescribably happy, because it showed me that I finally had a family at LA Tech. Goodbyes that hurt are goodbyes that matter. To miss people means that you have a connection with them, that they are a part of you. I'm so grateful to have felt the pain that comes with separating from true friends. 

So it really bothered me that I had so many people in Ruston that I wouldn't be able to see before I left. It felt like I was running away from every friend I had made over the past year, when in actuality it couldn't be farther from the truth. Therefore, here's my lame attempt at saying goodbye to a few of the amazing people I got to know while at Tech. 

Olivia: Even though we never see each other anymore, I am so thankful that we became friends. Through Alice and our random lunch dates, I got to know you and appreciate your genuine friendship. Thank you for reaching out and for always making me laugh. Let's try to do better about hanging out next year, ok? I love you.

Jess: I know I've said this before, but I admire you so much. Your work ethic inspires me daily, and your humility from day to day constantly amazes me. You have so much talent, and I'm beyond happy to be able to go through this grad school experience alongside you. Thank you for all of your encouragement and support this year, and more importantly, thank you for being my friend.

Millie: I know I actually had the chance to say goodbye to you, but I wouldn't have made it through this year without you. Thank you for your daily "ALEXXXXXXXXXISSSSSSSS" as you walked down the hall for class. Thank you for the coffee dates we had. Thank you for constantly lifting me up and believing in me, even when I was stressed beyond belief. Thank you for being the amazing actress that you are. Thank you for consistently encouraging me. I'm so glad I know you. :)

Michele: I have told you this countless times, but you are without a doubt the biggest inspiration to me at Tech. I am in constant awe of your talent, your attention to detail and your perseverance. Thank you for being such an incredible role model for me, and for being the best PSM I could have ever asked for. I'm so glad we have one more year together.

Rebecca: You were my first roommate, and your sass always makes me laugh. Thank you for letting me rant when I needed to, and for helping me chase a dream, even if it ended up not working out. I'll miss you so much next year, but you're going to be amazing at UNC. Now go kick butt! 

Ashley: Like I told you at the cast party, I really want to spend more time with you next year. Since we both have RBF, we keep missing each other, but let's change that! I really like you and I think we can be wonderful friends. Let's make it happen. Side Note: I can't thank you enough for hooking me up with this apartment possibility. If I get it I will love you forever. ;)

Liam: All jokes aside (and we have too many), I am thankful for you. You are a wonderfully decent guy, and I am so blessed to have you as a friend. Thank you for making my coffee, for making me laugh and for helping me make sense of shop tools. Love you!

Maggie: GIRL. I am so glad I got to know you this last quarter! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for letting me crash your friend times with Allison and for immediately loving/accepting me. I love our little group (I mean troupe), and I cannot wait to spend even more time together next year. I love you so much!

Anne: Seriously, where have you been all year?! I cannot WAIT to spend more time with you next fall. You need to get your butt involved in the department and I want to hang out all the time. Thank you for being so funny, so supportive and so easy to talk to! You're wonderful :) 

Mitchell: Ok, so I realize we only hung out for one lunch and one night, but I had SO much fun with you. Can we please do more of this next year? Just from the conversation we had, I can tell that you are an incredibly awesome guy, and I think getting to know you would literally be the best ever. So if you're up for it, I sure am! :) 

Eric: Like I said to Mitchell, we should definitely hang out on a regular basis. It was great getting to work on the set a bit with you (even if you did see me pre-drill my shirt) and I would love to see you around the department more often! 

Allison: You know how I feel about you, so I don't even need to say anything. Thank you for being one of the best friends I have on campus. You're loyal, you're trustworthy and you're amazing. I love you.

Johnny: I wish I had gotten to know you sooner, and it sucks that you graduated. Thank you for the few meaningful conversations we had...and I'm so glad we got to laugh together as much as we did. I know you're going to do amazing things, and I hope that one day our paths cross again. 

Katie: You are my best friend at Louisiana Tech, and I cannot express how much you mean to me. Thank you for loving me like you do, for our countless lunch dates, for how much we laugh, for introducing me to Hamilton, for pouring into me spiritually as well as in every other possible way, and for just being there whenever I need you. I love you so, so, so, so much. 

To anyone else I missed before I left: thank you for making my first year of grad school so memorable. I can't wait to make more memories next year.

I love you all.