final night farewell

So everything is packed; the room is empty.  Doug and I are both hovering around that inescapable pentacle of exhaustion that is so common to big moves and big changes.  I have said goodbye to those that I love dearly, including my friends and my lifeline here in Asheville: Brian, Meg, Annie, Andrew, Wes and Henry.  I also hugged goodbye to my family: Mama and John, Daddy and Sandrine, Tabatha, Keir, Rechelle, Isaac, Mallory, Elena, Amanda, Allison, Charity, and Hannah.  I will miss them all terribly.  They may not know it now, but I have cried many tears over the past couple of months, preparing myself for the final farewell.  It hurts my heart when I think of life without then, so far away.  Still, it is a cleansing sort of pain, a pain that will inevitably make my heart even bigger, able to invite even more beautiful people and experiences into my already full life.  For now, I am going to sleep in my empty room with the man I love lying beside me.  Tomorrow, we will embark on a grande adventure, an adventure that I cannot wait to share with all of you!  

As I say goodbye to Asheville, my heart swells with the love and support of those I leave behind.  Thank you.  I love you.  Goodnight.