BFFs

I was talking to a lady a while back; she spoke of how people come and go from our lives and how we never see them again. She thinks that people move on from friendships, forget about each other, and stop caring. I asked her how she know someone hasn't forgotten about her, and she said she would receive at least 2 cards or phone calls from them each year. I would like to contradict her, something I had tried to do to her face, but she would not accept my premise. I have been thinking a lot about friends and friendships recently. Let me being with a "Natasha Story", which means I will give you a crazy amount of background before I get to the point of the whole story.
This week has been pretty crazy cool for two reasons.

1. I literally woke up Friday morning to an email from my boss, Michael, saying that my first location for work will be Germany for 3 months. (Instead of the previously discussed Birmingham, England and Czech Republic)
2. I talk to 3 of my high school BFFs. All in the same week. Trust me, that alone is a miracle.

In high school, there was four of us who were just always hanging out together. (we seriously need to think of a cool name for our group). It was me, Holly, Naomi, and Christina. I have known Nay since the 5th grade and have been friends ever since. She's amazing. I love how we haven't talked on the phone really in (dare I admit it) years! But we were chatting on the phone and it felt like it always has, just an easy friendship of love with years of crazy history backing it up. We even mentioned a couple of times how impressed we are with ourselves because we are AWESOME! She's 23 and working on her PhD. I am 24 and am getting paid to go travel the world. Legit? We think so. Holly, I met back in 6th grade when she had just moved to Texas. She is one of the kindest people I know. She's doing quite well and is thinking of moving. We're both in a transitional part of life right now. Then Christina, who I met back in Geometry class in 9th grade, who hated me because I was loud and obnoxious (still true....about me being loud and obnoxious...not the hate, even though our chosen theme song is We Used To Be Friends by The Dandy Worhols...long story). I'm still not sure how it happened but we're friends now. She can walk again! Yay! (Canada broke her leg) She's a crazy kid because she left Texas to live in Canada. Why someone would do that, I'm not sure, hence, she must be crazy. 

Anyways, I'm graduating and leaving AZ (which means leaving Christine and Erica *sadness*) in less than 2 weeks. Only 5 finals, 1 discussion board post, 1 online lecture and 1 group presentation left to go. Then I will be on a plane back home to Texas. Then to New Zealand for vacation, Missouri for training, and Germany for work. I thought I was okay with leaving Arizona, but now that it's really happening, I'm going to miss it. And I really suck at goodbyes. Really. You'd think I'd be better at them. I had to to it when leaving Spain. I had to do it when leaving my mission. I will have to do it when I leave AZ.  

2008- Saryah's Costume Party 

But with all the goodbyes that are on my mind, I keep on remembering something my Spain program director told us during orientation our first few days in Spain.  He told us that saying "adios" is not really the norm there; everyone usually says "hasta luego". They do this because "adios" means "goodbye" and that's too final, as if you're never going to see each other again. Instead they say "see you later" because you'll part for now, but it's not the end. I think of my friendships a lot like that. For realz, Holly, Christina, Naomi, and I haven't been all together since December 2008. I don't know when the next time we'll all be together again (I proposed back in 2009 that we have a 25th birthday group party/celebration cruise where we get to wear matching shirts that say "25 years of *insert something clever here*" but that idea has yet to be really thought out...even though we only have 1.5 years to figure out details.) I'm not planning on coming back to Arizona until November, and only just to see a special someone. I haven't seen the my guy friends from Spain in three years, but we're making plans to hang out when I get to Europe this summer. I know that friendships last; it doesn't matter how often you see or talk to each other. I don't worry about whether or not my real friends will forget me, because even if they're the worst at calling regularly or responding to letters, we're friends and it's something that doesn't easily disappear. My friends are important to me, and I still don't believe in goodbyes. I believe in "Hasta Luego"s.