The ten days before I left Fort Wayne were filled with not only frantically purging junk drawers and closets, but also with cramming in as many coffee dates, dinners and parties. I was absolutly blown away by how much love was shown us as we left. It truly felt like our community picked us up on their shoulders and carried us out of town with a ticker tape parade raining confetti all around us. We certinaly didn’t say goodbye short and sweet, we drug it out over a week!

I don’t have photos of all my good byes, but they all mean so much to me and as I sit here typing this in our temporary apartment in San Jose, I’m missing you all so much! It’s been such a surreal ride. As I’ve been looking back at these photos of these goodbyes, I remember how I had NO IDEA what it would feel like to leave everybody I knew. Not to be dramatic, but it’s kind of like before you ever experienced someone dying, you really can’t fathom what it’s like for a person to actually be gone. After living my entire life (Including college) in the same city, I had no idea what it would be like to actually leave everybody. Ten days into our new life here and I hadn’t realized how much I would yearn to see the familiar faces of my friends. I don’t need to really talk with them, I just want to sit next to them at dinner, or at the pool. Just be in the company of the girls you know. I mean, I knew I would miss people, but it’s not just needing friends, it’s needing YOUR friends.

Looking back on that week, oh my was I overwhelmed! I had so much to do, so many emotions flowing and honestly, all I wanted to do was sleep. I knew I would cry and I was so scared of that moment when it would all break loose, but I had no idea MY friends would cry when we left. It’s sounds cliche, but you honestly don’t realize how much you mean to people sometimes until you leave. I definitly left feeling a renewed realization of how treasured my Fort Wayne realitionships are and I truly feel like they are all just beginning!

Here’s a beautiful blog post written by my friend Erin for me that I wanted to share. I am still so incredibly touched by her words. Click here for blog post

Back to the photos. As I mentioned, I don’t have photos of everybody, but please know so many more are counted as loved and missed! I don’t have the energy tonight to write about each person, but please know that I cherished seeing you before I left and I can’t wait to see you again!

Saying goodbye to our friends Jim and Allison, who do our hair was so hard. They are such dear friends of ours! !)

Farewell Covington Starbucks and of course, my dear Johnny Appleseed!

About an hour before on of our going away parties, I painted an Indiana for everybody to sign. I’m going to treasure it! (As soon as it’s found amongst our moved items!) That fluffy white dog is our sweet neighbor dog who was just a doll and my dearest friends gave me that rad pillow with a Fort Wayne postage stamp on it to remember them by. LOVE IT!

I held it together relatively well, getting a few sobs here and there, the week before we left, but the waterworks really broke loose on the day before we moved when Miles said goodbye to his best friend Nolan. They spent one last massive play date together all day into the evening and had a blast. Miles’ friendship with Nolan is so precious, kind and strong that it just broke my heart to smithereens to see them go.

Seeing them say goodbye was when the realization of all the goodbyes came crashing down into one massive door closing. That’s when I knew there was no more waiting, it was time for me to realize the goodbyes are just about all said, it’s time to let it all go and feel it. We all got into the car that night and we all cried, even Joss cried some hilarious fake tears that had us all laughing by the time we got to the entrance of our neighborhood.

The next day was the final day of the move, the loading of boxes and the night of sleeping in the hotel before we headed to the airport. That page of the story is next. I’ve got some more goodbyes to talk about too before I start blogging about our life here in California. (Which spoiler alert: It’s amazing here! So beautiful!!!)