Yesterday my very first friend in the Netherlands left. A is a phenomenal person, she is one of these people that leaps out and lives life. She's always inspired me. But her path was taking her different directions and yesterday she left us all here in the land of the gray to return to the US. I knew A when I first got here. She was there the night I met my husband. She was one of the original A-team, a group of four of us who were good friends when I first arrived. Now I am the only one left - such is the expat bubble way. Even after many years, people still come and go.
I am really sad for myself. I am thrilled for A. It's totally the right move for her. She has a lot of opportunities in the US - and as she said herself, it was simply time. She had been here longer than I. But I will miss my good friend. In recent time I have seen less of her, a natural process of me seeing friends in general less now that I have a kiddo and find sitting in pajamas a very excellent way to spend a Saturday. To say goodbye I put together a couple books, one for just a small group of us who all bonded (post A-team, the Musketeers) and another more general one. The general one was really nice - I didn't get any money contributed, but people did send me lots of great photos. It was so wonderful to go through them all and remember all the excellent times we had together. It was also pretty humbling to see how much we had changed over the years. I am older, more grounded now. I am definitely past what I could never have realized was a stage of life, young adulthood, when we are lucky enough to have a job that pays and freedom to run about and be crazy. Both of us had ups and downs. A is such an amazing person, it hurts just as much that she is gone as it did when our friend O and W left. But I am so excited to see what type of amazing person she will be next, with all her new opportunities in the US. Best of luck A!!
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| our first outing, we knew we would be friends just by the footwear. And the vagina jokes. |
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| happy birthday times. A's birthday and the night I told all our friends we were expecting a little Munchkin |
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| Many, many Queen;s days together. They won't have that in the US! |
6 comments:
Sign, a reminder of the temporary nature of all that is in this world.
Aww, that's unfortunate. Think about how much more she'll appreciate the space we have in the US now that she's lived abroad though!! Plus it sounds like the right move.
Awww, but now, you have one more person to visit in the US! Where is she going to land?
Also, you won't miss any more Queen's Days, because there won't be any more Queen's Days, right? King's Days from now on...
I find its the vagina jokes that really bring friends together.
As a constant mover/traveler, I have a great deal of sympathy for what you're feeling. Lots of love to you, my dear.
I find its the vagina jokes that really bring friends together.
As a constant mover/traveler, I have a great deal of sympathy for what you're feeling. Lots of love to you, my dear.
Just reading this again, because it makes my heart go all warm and fuzzy and melty like hot fudge (now that I'm American again, I mostly think in food metaphors).
Rest assured that you are equally missed from this side of the pond! People are strange here, and stressed out. They need to bike more.
xxoo
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