Saying goodbye never comes easy....especially to the people you love the most.The last few days were spent glassy eyed and choked up. Somehow, it’s only when you are leaving that you realize how precious and how necessary certain people are in your life. My ATP girls, Stef, Chunlee, Jaycee and Maya took me out to sushi and surprised me with a beautiful soft shell from MEC as a parting gift. But perhaps the best gift was their kind and encouraging card that helped me believe I am taking steps in the right direction...
The send train crew sent me off with a belly full of beer, tons of hugs and support. But the hardest goodbye is always my family...There just never seems to be enough time to say goodbye to them and I find myself staring down the clock as if it were a time bomb. It’s all fun and games until I feel the teary stare of my mothers eyes from across the room. It happens every time we say goodbye, I swear... like we are telepathic or something! We both choke up and know that it is time to exchange some parting words. This time she told me “trust your gut” and to “ not be so serious. Just live big and have fun in Austria for the first couple months.” I told her through tears “ I’m only going to Ottawa tomorrow! And I’m back in 6 months!” A couple booger smeared mascara stained tissues later, I gave her a hug goodnight and watched her walk up the stairs to bed...( she won’t let me wake up in the morning to say goodbye otherwise she will have a booger smeared mascara stained work day.... totally understandable!)
But saying goodbye also means saying hello to something brand new. A new adventure and a new experience... A chance to challenge yourself and reevaluate your goals and the choices that brought you to pursue them. I’m going to have a lot of “awesome!” moments and a lot of “what the hell was I thinking....” moments. But, that is the way we learn about ourselves and what we really want from our lives. So... as I turn over a new page, I’m ready to tackle some new goals! Wish me luck on my European adventures and follow my blog if you’re interested in my journey! Also, thank you to my new sponsors for supporting my rock crushing ambitions! @flashedclimbing @evolvusa #calgaryclimbingcenter
