This past Friday was my last day at my job. All of a sudden, a long, wonderful summer of laughter, friends, and the best kinds of chaos came to an end. But it was the perfect day. All of the activities I ran ran smoothly, all of my loose ends got tied up, the weather was perfect, the campers were happy. I even won an award for being the most spirited staff member! But behind all of that was plenty of tearful goodbyes. I lost count of how many times I cried (happy tears, I promise!). I didn't want to leave. I loved this job so much, and what's more, they all loved me. So many campers were devastated when they found out I was leaving. I don't think I've ever gotten more hugs than I did that day! My staff evaluation turned into a heartfelt conversation with my boss about how much I wish I could stay, and laughing about how some of the campers wanted me to drop out of school so I could. I won't lie, for a moment, I thought about it. It was so hard to let go of the friends I had made and the routine I had gotten used to.
But what a beautiful problem to have: to love and be loved so strongly that it hurts to leave. It's much harder to cross a bridge you'll never burn, knowing that even though it's still there, you may never be able to go back. There's that lingering hope that maybe, just maybe, your path will circle around again. Maybe it will. Maybe it won't. But what a wonderful thing it is to have that experience to look back on as I transition into something new.
How fitting, then, that I finished my band shortly after this. Now I can put on a new project to help me into this transition, and bring back some of the routine I grew so accustomed to. We'll see what the future brings.