Saying Goodbye...

This week brought more surprises than I had anticipated. On top of the stress of preparing for a move out of the country, packing, shopping and saying goodbye to my entire family and friends for two years, my grandmother passed away on Tuesday. It was very unexpected, and the entire family is undoubtedly in shock. I hadn't planned on seeing everyone again so soon, let alone seeing them for something like this. Tonight is grandma's funeral. We will be holding a candle light vigil for her. I have to consider myself so fortunate to have spent so much time this last year with my entire family. I believe that God works in mysterious ways... and although I will miss my grandmother very much, I know in my heart that she would want me to keep going. Grandma was tough, but she was strong. I admired her for her ability to fight with everything she had, even until the very end.
Needless to say, this has been a very difficult week, in many different ways. Tomorrow is my last day in Washington... I still have so much to do. The good news is, my luggage is just 2 lbs under the weight limit... so as long as I can fight the urge to put more stuff into my suitcase, I know I will have enough things to get me through to winter.
To my family, I wish you all the best of luck in the coming months. Stay strong, and remember to say "I love you." We don't say it enough. To my mom and dad, I love you more than anything or anyone in the world. Thank you for being my rock and for giving me everything... certainly much more than I deserve. To my friends, although I won't be here, I won't truly be gone. Remember, I will miss you all as much as you miss me and surely more... To everyone, please write. I don't care what you write me, I just love to hear from everyone. So with that, I will see you all in two years! I will try to write again as soon as I can to let you know I'm getting settled in.