"Good Luck With Life"

6.9.2012

Saturday.

Last full day in Australia! We got up around 8:30. Crammed the last minute stuff into our bags, and took our “public transportation” to the school around 9:30. After we dropped off our stuff we took our “public transportation” back to the house so we could finish cleaning before getting on with our days. We also wrote a letter to the next ASC students who will live at the house. This is a tradition that the Townsends have. Each group writes a letter to the incoming students. They save all the letters so you can go back and read some of the first groups letters. It is pretty cool. Some of the suggestions of things to do and people to meet are a little out of date (like that bus doesn’t exist anymore, or that person graduated, etc). But they are still pretty cool. That’s how we knew from the beginning that we had the best host family.

It took us a while to write our letter. We had a lot to say. We had to go onto a 3^rd page. After we were done though, we worked on cleaning a bit more. Carly and Megan headed into the city to meet up with people. Soon after Erica left too. I was going out that night so I chose to spend my afternoon at the house. I caught up on some blogs and sat on the couch as Kieran tried to pick a movie to watch. This process takes hours for him. Probably because he has a  million movies:

There is a whole other shelf that you can't see on the bottom

 In the mean time we watched "Wipe Out" with Murray (the uncle, I don’t know if I’ve mentioned him before. He’s the one who lives in the outback who’s farm we went to oh so long ago). Kieran, 2 cigarettes and a nap later I think he finally decided on a James Bond movie. By that time I had to start getting ready for church.

I got ready and went back up to the house to say Goodbye to Braedon. He was going out tonight and probably wouldn’t be awake to see us off in the morning. I think this was one of the hardest goodbyes. I had kind of been putting it off all day. I think a part of me really believes that he is my little brother. I’m really going to miss spending time with him. Sass and all. We said goodbye, and he assured me that we’d be seeing each other again within the next couple years, and through facebook we could keep in touch. But, lets be real, that’s never the same.

After a really prolonged parting, I finally got out of the house and headed toward the train station. Don’t tell Braedon but I practically cried the whole walk there. Plus, some more on the train. I looked like a crazy person, but I didn’t really care. I had to pull it together though. I was on my way to church! Where I would probably just cry some more.

I got to church and hung out with Charlie by the door, greeting people as they were coming in and saying Goodbye to those who were leaving. We mostly just talked to each other than greeted people. But they hardly ever respond anyway. And tonight was a pretty slow night at church. At least it didn’t feel as crowded as it usually does.

I ran into Joe from ASC and chatted with him for a couple minutes before heading in and grabbing my seat. I took in my last worship set and message at Hillsong City Campus. James Cameron was the speaker.

After the sermon, the after party was in the garage attached to church. We ate pasta and just hung out. It was really nice. I sat with Charlie, James, Sandra and 2 other girls I had never met. I met a guy named Paul who seemed cool. Then said some goodbyes and took lots of pictures. 

L to R: Linh, Paul, James, Me, Sam, Charlie

Me and Sam

Charlie, Me, Andrei

Charlie, Me, Andrei, James

 Andrei gave Charlie and I a lift back to Central Station. Saying good-bye to Charlie was a pretty big bummer as well. We didn’t really know where to leave it. How do you say good-bye to people you have no idea if you will ever see again in your lifetime? I think we left it at: Good luck with life. That is the most umbrella statement I think you can make in a good-bye. But it seemed the most appropriate.

I then took my last train ride home. I’m even going to miss the trains! And the walk from the station to the house. I got home, showered, finished packing, ate a magnum I had in the freezer from when I bought 3 a few weeks ago. It was good. I needed it after the emotional day I had had. I can only imagine what kind of self medicating I will need to do tomorrow.