Au Revoir, Adios, Ciao, Arrivederci, Sayōnara…

Goodbyes are never easy. Everything about that horrible little word suggests the end, a heart sinking finality that we can never quite bring ourselves to accept. I’ve had my fair share of goodbyes. Travelling around the world, moving houses, new experiences, each brings with it the excitement of meeting incredible new people. Some people pass through your life, others might remain friends for a lifetime. Regardless of who it is, time and distance urge you to say goodbye to those special people you meet along the way, just in case it really is final.

Personally, goodbyes are just too hard. Instead, I opt for a much more promising, naively optimistic ‘see you later.’ Sometimes I genuinely mean, ‘see you later.’ Even if you’re from the other side of the planet, you just never know where you’ll end up in life, and if I find myself in a city in Sweden, or Italy, or America, it’s reassuring to know that there’s someone very special that’s reserved a spot for me on their lounge.

Maybe I’m just trying to trick my tear ducts into thinking that there will be a next time (though I usually cry anyway), maybe I know within my heart that I will see them again somewhere and someday, or maybe I just know that I’m not quite ready to say a final goodbye yet. A little piece of them and me, that I try to hold on to with every wave, every text and every email, that little piece of love and friendship that I want to hold onto forever.