goodbye!

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." -A.A. Milne

Because Ben and I had no idea when our visas would be approved, we've been saying our "goodbyes" for over two months. But now it's the real deal - we're finally off to start our new life together in Melbourne! It's been a crazy journey to get here, and we haven't even landed in Australia yet.

This week was our final week in the States, and we spent it saying bittersweet farewells to many people. Ben and I were able to spend the previous weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan visiting my family. This week we were able to schedule a few final get-togethers with friends and coworkers, including a fantastic going-away party hosted by our good friends Tara and Nathanael. We had a wonderful dinner with Ben's family last night, and today they took us to the airport. Many tears were shed, but it was a beautiful send-off, and we will always treasure the memory.

We're excited to move, but we'll be missing out on some good stuff. Family time, of course - birthdays, celebrations, long weekends in the midwest, watching the children in our families grow up. We've made some really solid couple-friends and friend-groups in Seattle, and those can be pretty hard to come by. We'll even miss the places in the city that we've become familiar with - little traditions and fun events, places we love to frequent for a long run or some good fro-yo.

Saying goodbye has been very hard for both of us, but it's helped us realize just how blessed we've been, in every aspect of our lives. For everyone who is reading and following us on this journey, thank you - for your thoughts, prayers, encouragement and support... and even for your concern about all the poisonous critters we might be meeting down under. 

The next entry will be from... the southern hemisphere!

CK