so, this is what it means to be a grownup??: hate goodbyes.

Today has been filled with multitude of sadness and tears.... having a hard time saying goodbye.

I have been so lucky to spend the holidays at home with my family. It is amazing to see with each passing holiday how much we have all grown, changed, and come to enjoy the time we spend together. The "blended family" has not always been easy for us all the time, but as we have gotten older time together has been great. I thoroughly enjoyed all of my sisters, brother-in-law, and nephew this Christmas while home together. Each one is unique and adds something to the crazy dynamic of our family. I love them so much and will miss them terribly while I am gone. It it is times like that this that make it so clear to me that, even though we are not always all together, they each add so much to my life.

As I teared up saying goodbye to each person in my family, I was torn about moving so far away. I know that this will be a great thing for me and is a once in lifetime opportunity; it is just hard to think that I will miss major events. I will miss graduations, weddings, and my nephew will be so big by the time I get back.....it breaks my heart to think about these things, but I know that it is time to go after the big events in my own life. This is my chance to go out and stand on my own two feet and figure out who it is I am supposed to grow up to become.

Until I get back from this big this big adventure, I will settle for skype dates, photos, and phone calls to keep up with all the family craziness...