Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday – April 24th, April 25th, and April 26th, all in 2024

I am a sentimental creature, by nature.  I may have mentioned that recently, but it rang especially true over the last few days.

I have been emotionally tumultuous through the last day’s that I’ve spent in the town that had been my home for the last four years.  I was holding it together pretty well until I took the photos down from the walls of my apartment – but once the photos of my friends, family, and adventures came down… So to did my emotional walls.

I wasn’t able to cry, which almost made it worse.  All I felt was a hole deep inside my soul, radiating raw sadness and loneliness at the sight of my emptying apartment.

It was my apartment, not my home.  My home was warm and comfortable, with welcoming photos of smiling family watching over me.  My apartment is sterile, with blank white walls and moving boxes against the walls, blocking off the couch.

At the same time, I was elated!  I’d be on a plane to Greenland by this time next week, and I’d be well on my adventure this time next month!!  I had tours of glacier caves booked, and countless other adventures simply awaiting my arrival in time!

The best way I’ve found to describe this was that I’ve finally left my anchor behind… But, without that anchor holding me steady to the seafloor, I’m careening from one wave to another, through peaks and troughs.

I can feel the waves calming, though, and writing all of these “going away” posts has helped me out quite a bit. So too has taking and reviewing some final pictures from Wilsonville… a last set from my walks around the town that’s been so good to me.