The Goodbye Girls

This week has seen many goodbyes for me. One of my closest friends that I've known since I was just eleven has packed her bags with snow coats and ventured off to a frozen London. In all honesty I'm not sure it really hit me that I was saying goodbye indefinitely until I picked up my phone today, only to remember that she won't be on the other end of that line anymore. A part of my heart so overwhelmingly happy for her and all she is going to achieve and learn and experience. And (naturally) a small part of me is a little bit jealous that I'm not there too -

soaking up a good dose of new culture and exciting new adventures waiting anxiously outside my door for me in a different land. But a big part of me is also selfish and I want to march up to her in the middle of Trafalgar Square and say 'HEY! I feel like venting and doing random crap with you today so get your ass back to your house in my country so we can drink some coffee, dammit!'

Another girlfriend of mine has recently left for Spain to go teach English. Wow, the jealousy is strong here! I'm in the process of getting my degree in English and let me tell you, it would be a surreal dream, being able to live in a new culturally enriched environment and learn as much as I'm teaching. I think she's inspired me to add that to my bucket list.

Must teach English in a foreign country with a totally different lifestyle to mine, before I die.

I wish I had her bravery and careless attitude when it came to travel. I would be having a mild panic attack the entire plane ride there. I'd cry if the taxi driver at the airport couldn't understand where I wanted to go. I may even sell half the items in my bag just to pay a psychologist to listen to me and perhaps give me a horse tranquiliser. Ah, but that's just me. This girl is a toughie, she has no worries, no 'what if this goes wrong' thoughts, no fear of getting lonely or encountering a possibly dangerous animal that she can't identify or protect herself from (pepper spray is essential at all times).

So this week has been a sad yet exciting one and I look forward to all the stories that will come from their trips, and I'm pretty certain that when they return, it will feel like no time has passed at all. Time does not affect real friendships.

I think in retrospect the 'goodbye girls' have given me a small piece of courage. For whatever I am faced with and whatever I choose to do. With a bit of courage, we can harvest that and take on any challenge, any dream...

Oh, and with pepper spray too though.

Courage and pepper spray.