...sun sets and end credits role...

Jamming to some dance tunes.  Sweating my butt off as I finish packing and I'm pretty sure if my mother saw my pack job, she'd be very disappointed in me.  HAHA  But really, with in the last five years, this is the worst packing job I've ever done.  

Anyways moving on, my time here in Baltimore has come to an end.  It's hard to believe.  I reflect and think about my time here and I almost don't want to leave, but yet I must.  I must move on and find something new to challenge myself with.  Yup....I MUST!!!

Today was a wonderful, beautiful day, except for this morning when I was rudely awaken by thunder and lightening and rain shower then I was wringing with sweat because I became soooo hot.  After I gave up on the sleeping thing, I decided to just start packing.  So I packed for an hour then I had to make gifts and around noon I went and picked up Melissa at work and we headed out to Wal-mart and Chick-Fil-A.  Yum yum.  Then I had a wonderful afternoon with my good friend and co-worker Chris.

After dropping off Chris at the Metro, it hit me, I've finally said all my goodbyes, except for my housemates but that's it, I'm done!  It's hard to think about.  It's hard to think about the fact that I gave up the job that I know so well to someone else.  It's hard to not keep going back to say goodbye to people at Project PLASE.  As my housemate said it a few nights ago, "sometimes you just have to pull the band-aid off."  I want those feel good feelings to stay forever and never leave these people but yet I must move on.

Tonight was good closure.  The four of us went out to dinner and hung out with the few (just two) remaining LVCer's.  It felt like good closure as of right now and I've received the best gifts ever.  A journal and a book about MVS Baltimore.  Both necessary in life!!  

Well the band-aid is gone.  Time to move on and find a new adventure.  Who knows, maybe someday I'll return!!

Love from Baltimore (the final time)

Final Countdown (2 days = done at work, 4 days = leavin')

It hasn't sunk in yet.  I'm almost done here, then what?  Well, home of course.  I have no money to get by.  I've got a whole lot of nothing!  Check!

Tonight was one of the several farewell parties we've had and it began to sink in, I'm saying my goodbyes, and with some it's goodbyes for good and who knows when I"ll ever see them again.  Ugh....I got scared and then I could feel the tears begin to well up but not flow out.  (I was thankful for that, though I'm never ashamed of crying, usually)

It's just so hard to say goodbye to these people who had to become my family in such a short amount of time.  I've done the every two year thing and then I move on but one year is rough, actually really difficult, which sucks and very unexpected for me.

Who knew that the gypsy would find it difficult to move on after a year.  I should have just done another year, stuck around.  Now I play the "Well I could do this..." game.  No one wants to play that, I've made a good, healthy decision.  It was a good choice.  Very needed!

Well here's to my fellow volunteers and new Baltimore friends:
I've had the most wonderful year of meeting great new people, may not have spent enough time with them but now I know how to plan a better year.  I'll miss the co-workers who have shared with me about soooo much (life and social work).  I'll miss my new friends who went through this experience with me and may have experienced similar things, feelings, and thoughts.  And I appreciate the people who were there to listen to me and process life with me in this new year of growth as a true adult no in the college bubble anymore.  Thanks to all of you who loved and cared and laughed when I needed it the most.  You are all a true blessing!

Love