When you\’re saying goodbye to someone, do you want to spend every moment with them until they leave at the airport? Is a farewell at the airport better fit than saying goodbye at the curb? Or even a goodbye at someone\’s house the night before?
Airports for me are a place of goodbyes. One of my first major goodbye at an airport was almost 4 years ago now. It was at the LAX airport where I was saying goodbye to him. It was the day after a major realization. And there we were, my flight fortunately slightly delayed. We left his dad\’s car in rush to make it to my 8 am flight. The time was 7:55 am. We were at the gate (pre-9/11). I said (with a cliched giggle), \”Not goodbye, but I\’ll see you later. Soon.\”
And with that, came my many goodbyes an airport. There were times I really believed that I wouldn\’t see someone again. But because I knew our relationship would change with the upcoming months, and we wouldn\’t find that drive to see each other again. Or perhaps, it was a chance meeting, a meeting that wouldn\’t occur because we weren\’t good enough friends. One of the last times I said goodbye was at the oakland airport to Noah and Jesse someone I had met recently. I would see Noah again…but to see Jesse, a developing friendship has to appear. And in Boston, I said goodbye to Karen. But in that case, there are no unspoken words. I am going to see her again, no matter what.
And so tomorrow, Janette is leaving. I hope to visit her in Seattle. But with so many visits, both people need to have a mutual desire of visiting. She was one of the most awesome people I have met at CMU. And so many others I haven\’t mentioned. Just that right now, if I am saying hello to all these new people, how will I handle saying goodbye when I have to leave Pittsburgh for good?