Saying goodbye to good friends is really such a mix of emotions. You're having so much fun with them, and you're so excited for them to start a new chapter in their lives. But at the same time, you are anticipating how much you're going to miss them, and you just don't want THIS chapter to be done quite yet. Unfortunately for Matt and I, we were hit with two goodbyes back-to-back when it was the Posada's turn to leave Okinawa the following week. Again, we had an amazing last few days together, full of beach parties and good food every night of the week, but we were definitely emotionally drained at the end of it. It was SO hard to say goodbye to our other best friends. Here are a few highlights from our last week with Lyndsey and Andrez!
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| Gorgeous day at Torii Beach |
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| Lemonade & Champagne for the girls:) |
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| No party is complete without Catch Phrase |
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| Paddleboarding toward an amazing sunset |
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| Good friends:) |
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| Some strong wasabi at Kami Sushi |
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| Fun in the Japanese photo booth (which makes your eyes look like Anime characters!) |
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| Bollywood Dreams - another favorite |
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| So much fun |
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| The Posada's last night on Okinawa |
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| Love this girl! |
Right before we left our whole lives to move to Japan, Matt's Aunt Debbie told me that we are going to meet the best and closest friends we've ever had there. I wasn't too sure at the time, but I always remembered that. 3 1/2 years later, I can tell you that she was absolutely right. There is something about this place that is different than the States (and it's not just all the Kanji or driving on the left side of the road). There is something about this place that makes you grow closer to friends than you ever would in the States, and that's because all of us have things in common. We are all in the military, we are all living in a foreign country, and we are all thousands and thousands of miles away from our homes and families. We are the ones who help each other move into a new house, or push each other's car to the nearest body shop when it breaks down. We spend Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and birthdays together. We take vacations together. We help each other through tough times and celebrate together during good times. We ARE each other's families out here.
As sad as I am to say goodbye to the Perez's and then the Posada's both over the course of one week, I am so very thankful for those friendships. And when I think about them, and all of our amazing memories living abroad with them, I can't help but smile;)
"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."
-C
