The title for this is a bit misleading, as it may make you think that my time in Canada was done. This was not the case, but it was the end of the experience for many of my fellow study abroad friends and thus on top of exam stress and Christmas excitement we had the dreaded goodbyes.
I've been putting off writing this blog for a while because it has the potential to get very emotional very quickly and while this blog is here to document my experience, the ups and the downs, I seriously doubt I will accurately be able to put into words what I was thinking or feeling when I had to say goodbye to people that had become like family to me.
In a strange turn of events, despite being one of the few staying at York for the year I was actually the first to leave for the Christmas break. So, on the 10th of December I said my goodbyes and headed to Florida for Christmas.
This set of goodbyes was vastly different to those I said before leaving in England. Mostly because the majority of these people live in Australia and so it's not a cause of see you later (much later) as it was with friends and family previously. No this time it was a goodbye for who knows how long. We all have talked about visiting each others respective countries but who knows when we will be able to afford such things. Flying around the world isn't cheap and we are all students with little to no disposable cash. (Having said that 2016 baby! :P , inside joke I apologise if you don't get it ask me and I might try to explain :) )
Obviously goodbye is relative, I haven't just forgotten these people who made such an impact on my life and changed it so much for the better. In this modern era I've been able to keep up with them on facebook and using skype but it has been a weird experience being back here at York without the people who were so much a part of last semesters experience, it was almost like I didn't really say goodbye fully until I was back. Then it was the small things that made it hit home, Lauren's white board having been wiped clean, no more noddle Tuesday (Monique and I always met for lunch on Tuesdays and always had noddles).
I realise so far I've said very little about the actual goodbyes but that is because part of me is avoiding thinking about it too much as it was such a moment that it is hard to do justice to. There we many hugs, lots of kind words and a few tears here and there (mostly we held it together though). Monique came with me to the airport something for which I will be eternally grateful and as I prepared to walk through security knowing I wouldn't see this girl who I had become so close to I felt so grateful for all the wonderful people that have been brought into my life during my time here in Canada and so sad that it was time for all of us to continue on our own wanderings again.
Lastly, awhile before the goodbyes when we were all just starting to think about them a song came on itunes while me and Monique were hanging out that has since become 'our song' (there are a few of these that mark different aspects of the experience here in Canada), that describes eloquently what it was like. So if you want to get more of a feel for how we were feeling go listen to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx3rjS_vSM4
