Last Days with PCVs

Saying goodbye sucks.  There is no other way to put it.  Over the last few weeks I've said goodbye to so many people (and places), without knowing if or when I'll ever see them again.  Of course I'd love to stay in touch, but with people traveling all over the globe and lives moving in different directions, it's hard to know anything for certain.  All my emotions about moving on to a new chapter of my life came crashing down on me this morning, when I hugged Val goodbye.  Val and I have been together since October 2009, when this crazy Peace Corps experience started.  We have been through so much together- she was my closest neighbor during my first two years- and her leaving, in my mind, marked the true end of an era.  She was my last tie to my 3 year long PC experience.  Of course I love Mike, Chris, and Laurie (who I'm still with for the next 36 hours), but they are so new to PC (one year in) that the relationship is different. Even though it's extremely difficult at the moment, I must keep reminding myself of all the truely wonderful people I've met, the relationships we've created, the places I've seen, and all the magnificent experiences I have in my future.  That said, goodbyes still suck.