Last night after saying goodbye to one of my closest friends for who knows how long I quickly realized that all of my nearest & dearest friends are actually people who are the farthest from me (geographically speaking). The people I call my best friends aren't even in the same time zone as I am, and I'm lucky than at least one or two of them is only a 3 hour time difference away vs. the 12+ hour time difference that separates me from most of my favourite people.
I learned very quickly once I moved away from home all those years ago that I'm not very good at saying goodbye, yet I keep leaving. Sometimes it's by choice, and other times because of visa regulations (ugh). But nothing changes the fact that every time I say goodbye to someone who has been an amazing friend a little piece of my heart goes along with them. It's the same with places I visit, I always seem to leave a little part of myself in each of the countries I've been to. It doesn't matter how long I get to spend with someone, a year, a month, a few days it's never easy. This last visit was a 5 day weekend for my friends visiting from The UK on their Canadian adventure before heading to the East Coast, and it had been exactly a year since I last saw her & man did leaving ever suck ( still not over leaving NZ if you couldn't already tell). So when I first saw her last week it was insane how excited we both were, and even crazier how we just fell back into how it was when we were practically roommates in Auckland. We picked up right where we left off as if we hadn't just spent the last 12 months apart both wishing we were back in NZ together. We got the chance to make a whole lot more memories together over the last few days & I got to see some places I may not have had the chance to visit if it weren't for her. And then last night came around and I was totally not ready to say goodbye. I'm excited for them to continue on their trip and see some incredible things but for obviously selfish reasons I wish they would have stayed.
5 days together and seeing them off felt like saying goodbye after spending a year together. You never feel like it's enough time. And probably the hardest thing about the lifestyle I live (constantly moving) and the people I call friends live, is that we never know when it is we're going to see each other again. The nomadic lifestyle is one of unknown possibilities, which is enticing & adventurous, but at the same time can make friendships hard. You say goodbye to someone who, for example was with you constantly for any amount of time, and all of a sudden you're left wondering when you'll see them & experience that again. I'm a big believer in the saying "people make the place". Sure the places I've been, and the places where I've met these amazing people have been equally as amazing, but the more I travel & the more chances I have to reunite with these amazing humans I know that while they've made the place we met an extra special spot for us, they continue to do so no matter where we meet in the world.
The more reunions I have with my best friends, the more I appreciate the time I get to spend with them. Wherever I end up in the world there is always going to be a part of me that wishes all of my best friends could be there. You want to share incredible moments with the people who matter most in your life. Which is so true right now, as I'm obviously (if you've been following along here) in a situation where all I do is miss the people I care about most. This is the first time in my life that I have truly not had a friend close to me and it is the hardest thing I've had to deal with in a long time. Which made this visit with my friends that much more meaningful to me and makes me realize just how much I appreciate the time we had together, even though I wish it was more. At the end of the day 5 days is longer than no days, so I'll call that a win in the friendship department. While I may not have my nearest and dearest near to me at the moment I'm grateful for technology to keep us in touch like they are right next to me until we can finally have that "ridiculously loud, hugging, people stopping & staring" type of reunion that I know we will. The friendships I've made in the last 6 years go beyond most I've made throughout my life & I feel lucky to have these people in my life even if it is only through facetime & whatsapp for most of the year.
I know I'm not alone in this department, so how many of you have your best friends spread out across the world? I'd love to hear how you keep in touch & plan your reunions together!