T Minus 9 Hours...

I leave for San Francisco tonight to meet up with my mom and spend a few days visiting friends and exploring the Bay area before I leave for Taipei with my soon-to-be traveling companions at 1:30 am on Tuesday.

San Francisco may not be as exotic as Northern Thailand, but it will be my first time in California (I know...right?). I've been reading an excellent book lately by Alain de Botton called The Art of Travel. He approaches traveling, the human desire to travel and the places that we travel to in a very interesting way. One thought that stuck with me was the idea that our heart pulls us towards the places that we feel most comfortable. We hear about, see pictures of, and read about events in a certain place and we experience an intense longing to feel the comfort of that place. In many ways, this is why I decided to forgo four more nights in the most comfortable bed I've ever lay on and commit to earlier farewells. I've heard from many a person that Berkeley is the place for me. A place I'd fit into. A place that I would surely enjoy. And although the thought of a time in my life void of snow and freezing nose hairs, I'd be willing to give it a shot if it's somewhere my heart finds comfort. I'll be looking at Starr King School for the Ministry while I'm out there, knowing that my post-world-traveler-Div-III-Bethany won't have too much time to visit potential seminaries. Tell me I'm crazy, go ahead. But at least I won't be freaking out as much as I could post-graduation.

The last two weeks have been filled with many see-ya-laters, sandwiched between pleasantly unexpected impromptu visits to see friends who live out of my 40 mile radius. A visit to the Valley let me say a much needed goodbye to friends I haven't seen since Mod45 dispersed. And one last Vermont trip let me see family that I had nearly crossed paths with a few times this summer.

Being at school has certainly distanced me from family and high school friends (in a physical way, at least), but this coming year will be an entirely different experience. Timezones and poor Internet connection (if any at all) will make coordinating Skype calls harder and less frequent. But I'm certain that I will find my way back to the people that I love and love me most, sooner rather than later, when I return to the States.

If I haven't yet exchanged a farewell hug with you, consider yourself Bethany-hugged.

Farewell my friends!

B(ee)