Coming on the race I was concerned with only one thing… saying goodbye so often. I get attached to people and places very quickly, forming deep bonds that go beyond a general like and enjoyment. Throughout my life I’ve had to say goodbye over and over again. I haven’t gotten any better at it. I break down, I cry, my insides crumble into a thousand tiny pieces leaving parts of me behind. Naturally, I was worried about how I would fare this year with our constant travel and upheaval.
Dre and I traveled to Hungary expecting to explore a new European city and make some new contacts for AIM. We had no idea what was in store for us. Now after two amazing weeks, I’m sitting on a train leaving Budapest and I feel as if I’m leaving my family and home behind.
Not only did we find joy in the city, but also its inhabitants. Within a few days we had a small group of friends, guys and girls that we were able to connect with deeply and quickly. We toured the city together, cooked together, sat in cafes and talked together, laughed together, walked the streets at night together, took spontaneous trips together. I loved every minute and quickly felt as though I had always lived in Budapest and had always had such great friends. Over the two weeks we were there I don’t think a day went by without us seeing at least two or three of our new friends. I felt like I belonged.
So now, as the tears are pouring and my heart is breaking, my greatest fear about the race is coming true. I’ve had to say goodbye to a place and to people I love and like always I’m a wreck. Yet, even knowing the pain I’m feeling now, the sense of loss that is overcoming me, I wouldn’t change a thing. I would do it all over again in heartbeat, enjoying each and every moment to the fullest and thanking God for giving me what I was afraid of because it was exactly what I needed.
