Saturday, January 31, 2009

I say hello, you say good-bye.

Why do we meet people? What is the purpose? We just end up leaving them, and then what? Is it to make the rendezvous all that much sweeter? Is it just a sick joke we play on our feelings, saying good-bye?......

Ok, well this is all in relation to the end of the semester. The semester in Klagenfurt has (more or less) offically ended, and all these people are going home. It is really sad to say good bye to these people who I've lived with, ate with, partied with, traveled with....the list could go on and on. It's like the whole lot of us have become a big, diseased, international family. I feel like going back home will just be incredibly boring, knowing everyone who just speaks english, who comes from the same type of background (culturally, etc.), who have the same beliefs, etc. Where is the fun in that? Who will I have to compare the pronunciation of words such as "improvisation" with? It's the little things in studying abroad that make the whole experience so worthwhile. I could sit here and type all day about the things that we have done. I'm glad I decided to study abroad. It has been the best decision I think I've ever made.

SO that brings me back to my original idea. Why do we meet people, when we know all too well that they are just going to go back to where they came from? Is it slightly selfish and indulgent to do so? But if I were to never have met anyone, I wouldn't have had such an experience as this. Plus, who knew that studying with someone for 4 or 5 months would prove to be this heartbreaking? It's like Shakespeare said "Parting is such sweet sorrow," and I don't think I could fully understand that until coming here. It really is sweet sorrow, because I know as bad as I feel about saying good-bye, the reunion will feel just as great. I guess it one of those questions that have no answer, that can't be explained. All I know is, is that when I say hello to these people again, it will be the best feeling in the world.

If you haven't noticed, I suck at saying good-bye.

2 comments:

YaiZa said...

Helena has just left...I know how you feel...and saying goodbye to gemma has been really hard.


:( my room is really empty, and I think my life is also a little emptier now...

On the other hand, I'm glad there are people like you with me here until the end!!!

I love my American Hero!!!! :D
(and his blog!)

Canario said...

All those mixed feelings you describe so well are an important part of our maturing process... a process that never ends, and hard feelings that are an important part of the life, so important like the good ones and at the time this hard feelings helps us to appreciate more the good, the idea of meeting again those persons or the certainty that those people, those friends are in some other far-off place feeling some similar about us.
I also feel bad about the good-byes, but with the passing of time I,ve learnt to appreciate the worth of have friends all around the world..... in only some days all of you (long-term Erasmus or similar) will have new friends, new anecdotes, new experiences.... and new friends to miss in some months further.


Regards of you girlfriend Roma: GUAU! (Wow in English?)