Even though we have lived far apart for over 8 years now, it is still not easy for me and I know that you feel the same way. I am very blessed that we have a close bond that distance cannot separate – whether you are in Seattle or Ecuador. Your Mamacita will always be your number one fan in whatever path you decide to follow. I love you Baby Girl!

Mamacita

Good point that your friends are thinking about life without you and you are thinking about life with travel. (a paraphrase).

The cool thing about moving (and it’s taken me quite a while to find the cool things!!!) is that you can reinvent yourself or, rather, be the real you that couldn’t quite come out in an old, familiar setting with old, familiar expectations.

And then there are the FIRSTS, like supporting and being supported by friends in ways you couldn’t imagine when you were all “just around the corner.”

You’re going on a big adventure and so will your friends.

Margit!

I lived in Asia for 3+ years (Tokyo & Hong Kong but worked in Singapore, Australia and a few trips to China). My memories are really those of living & working there, of the people I got to know and the cultural differences.

You will love your trip and you will stay connected with your friends through this blog, letting them go with you vicariously.

I am possibly one of those odd people, in such a global society, who has never experienced a friend moving away.

Growing up, my closest friends and I didn’t even move to different houses in the same town – we lived where we lived.

When we went off to college and into our professional lives, because we were ‘all doing it’ – I know I didn’t give much thought to what would happen to those friendships, and just presumed the one’s that were meant to stick would.

As an adult I know my friendships have changed. Some from my youth – as Dani said, were for a season – and interestingly I am now seeing some of them bloom again – thanks to social media and the ability to connect virtually.

I think that with the technology available today, those “lifetime” friends will be able to stalk you very efficiently!

And in the meantime – for the next 10 months and 13 days I know I will savor – each next “last time” – and will let your thoughts in this post be a reminder for me to take a few extra minutes to savor the moments of friendship – even with those friends who are not preparing to hit the road.

…..to the adventure we call life!

The people I’m talking about in this post are the friends I don’t want to lose, the kind I want to joke with in our old age (“did you know that tattoo would eventually sag like that when you got it?” kind of thing). I like your distinction of lifetime friends and friends for a reason. Both are important, but very different.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.

Then people come into your life for a SEASON, b ecause your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons: things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.