It’s Not a Goodbye, It’s a See You Later
Two years ago as I prepared to leave my hometown of Pittsburgh to go to Chicago for my freshmen year of college, there was goodbye after goodbye. It all became too much until a dear friend of mine told me that for every goodbye, there is a hello. That insight reminded me of the excitement of the unknown. With no connections, I journeyed to Chicago and as a result I see life in a completely different light.
Now as I prepare to leave for Pau, France for five months I find myself saying one too many goodbyes. I remind myself of the insight given to me, but this time it feels different. The people in my life are all ones that I have a special relationship with. Now I realize the importance of my relationships in life, which I did not before. For my loves ones that are reading this, you know who you are and you know the special place you have in my heart.
In exactly one week I will be on a plane from the United States to France. Many American students have made this trek before, but every experience is unique. What Europe holds for me remains to be seen, but it is sure to be one hell of a trip.
As I cross into foreign territory I know the beauty that I am leaving behind. Chicago and Pittsburgh are two wonderful cities that have given my 21 year old self enough experiences to make me into an old soul. That being said, I know I am prepared to take in the chic French lifestyle. The world is a beautiful place and there is no better time than now to experience as much as I can.
In French, “Au revoir” means goodbye while “À bientôt” means see you soon. We will not use au revoir because this is not a goodbye. You will be with me every step of the way during this journey. Never will I lose contact and I will always have you in spirit. We may not be together in the physical sense, but we will never be apart. Farewells can be very emotional, but this will not be. There is no reason to be sad as life has great things in store and I can’t wait to share my experiences with all of you.
Here’s to all the hellos (bonjours) that are soon to come and remember, c’est à bientôt non au revoir.