3 more years.
So Mark has finally left. After about 2 years of preparation, he is off to the Peace Corps in Thailand for 27 months. After that, he plans to travel around Asia for about another year.
Saying goodbye was tough, actually very tough. I was looking through some pictures from his goodbye party last night, where my other brother Dan surprised Mark by showing up from Memphis, and started getting choked up. I decided to be a good brother and wake up at 5 AM to take him down to the airport. Before hand, I watched him say goodbye to the dog. She wasn't so sure what was going on, but I could tell that Mark was upset because in all reality, she may not be around when he gets back. When we finally got to the airport, I started to hit reality that I will not see him again for three years.
Three years...let's see what will happen throughout three years.
> I will pick out a career that I want to do.
> I will pick out a college that will be good for that career.
> I will graduate high school.
> I will go to the college I selected for my freshman year.
> I will finish that year, go through summer, and go to the next.
At that point, we will all be so different that it is hard to comprehend. It is almost like time is going to skip three years for Mark. He is going to come home and things will be completely different.
We waited in line with Mark until we got to the security gate and we hugged him goodbye. At this point, my mom lost it. I always saw this as comical when she would cry when my brothers were leaving for college because they would be home in a few months for an extended period of time. I laughed a little, but I started to get emotional myself. We walked with him until he had to turn a corner and then we finally left.
As I gave a final wave goodbye, I realized that I was saying goodbye to a best friend as well as a brother. Over the past two years when he has substituted, we have grown closer than I ever thought we would. We've played endless games of Madden and Hitman, wrote a song together with him playing guitar and me on the drums about my lactose intolerance, gone to parties together, got chinese, wrestled, fought (I always kicked his ass), and many, many other things that I won't be able to do for three years. And by the time he gets back, things will be different. I'll be in college and he'll have a full time job. So it is going to take a lot to get through midterms and winter darkness this year, but with good friends and good times, I will handle it.
He will be keeping a journal throughout his time in Thailand online if you want to get updated.
http://www.aglimpseintotravels.blogspot.com/
Here's to the last time being together for three years...
Saying goodbye was tough, actually very tough. I was looking through some pictures from his goodbye party last night, where my other brother Dan surprised Mark by showing up from Memphis, and started getting choked up. I decided to be a good brother and wake up at 5 AM to take him down to the airport. Before hand, I watched him say goodbye to the dog. She wasn't so sure what was going on, but I could tell that Mark was upset because in all reality, she may not be around when he gets back. When we finally got to the airport, I started to hit reality that I will not see him again for three years.
Three years...let's see what will happen throughout three years.
> I will pick out a career that I want to do.
> I will pick out a college that will be good for that career.
> I will graduate high school.
> I will go to the college I selected for my freshman year.
> I will finish that year, go through summer, and go to the next.
At that point, we will all be so different that it is hard to comprehend. It is almost like time is going to skip three years for Mark. He is going to come home and things will be completely different.
We waited in line with Mark until we got to the security gate and we hugged him goodbye. At this point, my mom lost it. I always saw this as comical when she would cry when my brothers were leaving for college because they would be home in a few months for an extended period of time. I laughed a little, but I started to get emotional myself. We walked with him until he had to turn a corner and then we finally left.
As I gave a final wave goodbye, I realized that I was saying goodbye to a best friend as well as a brother. Over the past two years when he has substituted, we have grown closer than I ever thought we would. We've played endless games of Madden and Hitman, wrote a song together with him playing guitar and me on the drums about my lactose intolerance, gone to parties together, got chinese, wrestled, fought (I always kicked his ass), and many, many other things that I won't be able to do for three years. And by the time he gets back, things will be different. I'll be in college and he'll have a full time job. So it is going to take a lot to get through midterms and winter darkness this year, but with good friends and good times, I will handle it.
He will be keeping a journal throughout his time in Thailand online if you want to get updated.
http://www.aglimpseintotravels.blogspot.com/
Here's to the last time being together for three years...