After so many instances of meeting uniquely wonderful people, only to have to part ways, I think it is fair to say that I have become a master at goodbyes. Not that it's become easier and less painful for me to do so, but in that I've learned to anticipate the coming pain, and cope with the parting. Not to mention cope with the then aftermath, which is a related, but whole other topic. Change is inevitable in life, and when you so chose to expose yourself to the unknowns of the world, it is something that you will also experience in abundance.
I began to learn this skill, with my own upbringing, as for various reasons, change was an ever present part of my life. I learned how to quickly adapt to different environments and peoples groups, and learned to function despite it all. My first team trip in High School, to which I experienced a unique sense of depression missing and longing for the surroundings and group that I had just left. This was also mixed with a feeling of frustration and anger at the world that I had left and returned to, which was ignorant to the world I had just seen and experienced. This is then followed by a seemingly endless string of "fun facts", stories, comparisons, and inside jokes.
This pattern has continued and repeated multiple times, as I came home from college, moved, went on my trips, worked in many places, and continued to step out.
Good byes still suck though. They will always suck. But they are also inevitable...
