Moving on is simple. It’s what we leave behind that’s hard. Close friends are truly life’s treasures. My decision to leave the place I called home and the university that changed my life was one of the hardest things I’ve ever faced. Emotionally, it was a roller coaster. Physically, it hurts. Mentally, it’s always on my mind. I left behind the things that were comfortable and familiar to create new opportunities in my life. Usually, words just flow out of my finger tips, but for the first time I found myself erasing sentences, replacing them and erasing them once again because a simple 500-word article cannot fathom the amount of love and respect the people I left behind deserve. By the time you guys read this I will already be in Orlando, Florida. I hope to come back one day to share my adventures, experiences and stories with the hope that it will be like I never left. I miss you guys.
Moving away was always such a common thing for me. It seems like I’ve been a nomad my whole life, growing up in a military family. Each time I would make friends, new memories and eventually I would have to move and leave the familiarity behind. Eventually, I tried to not get too close to people because I knew that I would move and I wanted to protect their emotions. After a while, this became second nature for me. However, this is much different. For one of the first times in my life, I’m leaving behind my friends who have been there for me through thick and thin, brothers who always have my back, colleagues who want me to be successful and people who saved my life.
You really don’t know what you have going for you until you leave it behind. I understand your anger, your sadness, your regret for not getting to say goodbye, but just know that just because I moved for a short while, doesn’t mean I moved on from our friendship. I would never trade my memories or relationships with you guys for anything. I’m positive as I leave, you will create new friendships with people you meet this semester. I want to be a part of your life as much as I want you to be a part of mine! You guys are the reason I am the person I am today. Until I left, I never realized how many people want the best for me, how many friendships I had, how many precious experiences I’ve experienced and how many people I would be leaving.
My last night in Pensacola was bittersweet. I ate with the people I loved and the night ended perfectly as I walked through the streets of Downtown Pensacola surrounded by the people who care about me and who I care about. You asked me once what I would remember -- this and much more. With that being said, I leave you with the words of Peter Pan, "Never say goodbye because saying goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting."
