the title says it all: 40 days left. only 1 month left of ministry. then, back to Charlottesville.
To be honest, I can’t process this. Some days, I crave Bodo’s Bagels and driving through the mountains. Others, I want to stay here forever. I want to stay with the friends I’ve made in the city I’ve fallen in love with.
So, how do you say goodbye? How do you leave knowing there’s a very low chance you’ll ever come back? Since last week, I’ve started to grieve this goodbye. The first goodbye that has made my stomach drop and my heart physically ache. This is the first place I’ve found a home in. Things no longer seem pressing, like writing blogs or taking photos, because it doesn’t seem like it’s really ending.
This has been a crazy 9 months. When I look back, it doesn’t seem like it’s been 9 months. Nothing seems out of the ordinary, because my version of “normal” has so drastically changed; it’s no longer strange to see a man walking down the street with a sheep following him, nor is listening to whole conversations in a foreign language (it’s actually been comforting to have no idea what something says & not being able to understand the person at the checkout counter).
So. If you’re reading this and you’ve been in this situation before, please reach out. I literally have no idea how to process this new change & I don’t want to become apathetic again.
all my love,
sam bell
Tirana, Albania
p.s. upon returning home, I’ll be studying business administration with a focus on leadership at Liberty University (mostly online)!
