No matter how much time passes, one thing never gets easier -- goodbyes.
College is a time in life in which goodbyes are especially hard. It is a time of change, forcing us to travel into uncharted waters. The hardest part isn't this wandering about blindly, but wandering without our loved ones right next to us every second. Of course, they never leave us and we're never alone, but it is nice to be in their presence. That's what makes saying goodbye so hard.
We take for granted the time we spend with our loved ones. It is something every person is guilty of; we see the same people every day and get used to their presence. We only notice it once it's gone, the hole that is left. The safety of our mother's arms, the safe hugs from our dads and the assuring, warm smiles from our best friends. Throw a boyfriend into the mix, you miss every single detail of the time spent with him.
It's hard, leaving the ones you love. Especially when, instead of being zero to 10 minutes away from everyone, you are now 30 minutes to three hours from them. It's not easy, but it teaches you things.
It teaches you to revel in the time spent with one another. It teaches you to call home, spend time with your mother before you get too old and caught up in adult stuff to make time. I never realized how much I loved spending time with my parents until I was forced to spend weeks away from them. I missed their cheesy jokes, their endless love and the unlimited supply of hugs they grant me.
I miss laughing with my best friends, laying around doing nothing all day, but still enjoying every minute of it. I miss the easiness of it all, how breezy it was. I miss the casual dates with my boyfriend, eating pizza on the couch watching Netflix. Driving around, trying to figure out what to do and not realizing how perfect just driving was. I miss it all and time check: it hasn't even been a week.
A week.
But the best realization of all? The next time I see my loved ones, it is going to be that much sweeter. I will remember to live in each and every moment, to soak in each memory in the making at a time. I will understand the simplicity of it all, the gracious impact each and every one of my loved ones has had on my life and who I am today. Even though my loved ones are a little farther away from me, it means I will always have a place to go. Goodbyes may be hard, but they make reuniting so much sweeter. When you start missing someone so hard it hurts, keep in mind that it means you are one day closer to seeing them.
Because in the end, goodbyes are simply just see-you-laters.
