Goodbye

Today was Alex and Melanie's last in Taiwan and, all things considered, we managed to squeeze in a decent amount of culture before they left. The morning found Melanie and I at the HUGE local stationary store buying all sorts of cute Asian stationary. At noon, my lovely host family came to pick us up and took us to a DELICIOUS hot pot lunch, and then Alex, Melanie, Emily and I went to KTV for a few hours before I rushed them off to the HSR station and said goodbye.

Goodbyes are always hard. Today's was a rolling hardness: we were rushed to get to the station, rushed to buy tickets, and rushed to get Alex and Melanie to the train. All of a sudden we were at the gate, and it was just a quick hug for each, a last bit of yelled instruction and a wave, and they were gone. I turned and walked away. It took a few minutes, but with each passing step I missed them more. After being in constant company for the last few days, it felt odd to be suddenly alone.

It made me want to do something--activity gives my mind something to do other than dwell on my brother and sister-in-law moving steadily away from where I am. So I went grocery shopping for tomorrow's makeshift Easter brunch, successfully snagging some English muffins and ham from the store next to HSR.

Then it was home and alone yet more. Having Alex and Mel leave reminded me of how short and yet how long I have until I, too, will leave Taiwan. They were gracious enough to take a bag back for me, and as I packed it I realized that it will be just a few months before all of my stuff will be bagged up and plane-ready. Saying goodbye made me wish I were going with them, yet re-exploring Kaohsiung made me remember why I don't want to leave.

Lots of complicated emotions, today was. I drowned them in getting backlogged work done, sending emails, working on my resume, etc. But tomorrow is Easter, and despite my planned celebration with Karina and Grace, a friend we met in Chiang Mai who just moved to Tainan a few months ago, it will be yet another holiday spent away from my family. Yet I know it won't be long before I'm saying the same thing, from the banks of another continent.

*Sigh* Goodbye...such a loaded word.