My Final Goodbye

The last week in Canada came and gone and I have to say, it did not disappoint. I managed to squeeze in one final camping trip, arrive the day before I leave allowing me to pack and say a final goodbye to my friends and family. This camping trip would be the last time I will see the Rockies for a whole year and the amazing times and the people who I camped with were amazing. In short, I'm going to miss Calgary; all it's little quirks and side streets my friends and I have discovered; the close proximity to the mountains allowing me to go on these amazing hikes that I will remember for the rest of my life (for both good and bad reasons); and of course the wonderful people I have met as I stumbled through everything. But these little things will, mostly, remain unchanged as I progress through this new era in my life. I will return in around 11 months to finish the Triple Crown in Canmore, or to return to my amazing friends and family. But as I said, I will return, and that time will come but for right now I must focus on my trip coming up. Ironically, I'm writing this as I am in air above the Atlantic Ocean en route to Brussels and unable to sleep. People close to me would know how much I love to sleep and I plan to get some before we land but no guarantees, sorry Belgium for an exhausted exchange student. Even during the relatively long stop in Montreal, I didn't find enough time to respond to all the wishes from my family and friends, in addition to notifying my host family and responding to some additional emails. I do enjoy the company on the way out; Sabrina is a student from Calgary who is also exchanging to Belgium and we managed to catch the flight together. It's good to have someone to talk to and allow me to take my mind off leaving my family otherwise I would be a little short of tissues during the flight. This trip is going to show me many life lessons that I am excited to encounter and, hopefully, they will shape the way I see the world around me and allow me to seize every moment I can get. I am starting to embrace that one as I needed to seize the last few weeks as much as possible. This is only the start however and I'm nervous as to where this year will bring me. I am excited for what will come but completely scared of what to expect. I guess I should never expect anything, and then I will be pleasantly surprised by every twist and turn in the long road ahead of me. Goodbye Calgary, you will be missed immensely. I shall see you again soon.