Last Times

I'm going to take a minute out of packing up all my worldly possessions to give you a little update on My Life. I'm trying so so so hard not to play that game of "This is the last time I do x!" because that both makes me depressed and sets up every experience to be The Best Experience, and it never is. For example, this morning I went to Mass (for the last time), and it was fine, there was a sweet bell choir and a boys chorus sang "Ave Verum Corpus" and I cried, but there was a new priest who gave not a very good homily, and although I'm not upset that I went, it wasn't the cumulative experience I'd hoped it would be. When I'm leaving a place I try so hard to make my last days special, and it's exhausting and before it's over I'm ready to be done. It's sort of like I'm already gone, like my last days in DC were the ones when I wasn't trying so hard. I love all you DC people, but what I wouldn't give for a week when I went to the gym a few times, watched "Antiques Roadshow" and ate kale at home, and wasn't going out for drinks every night and trying to say goodbye. I would probably feel better if I weren't listening to so much of the National's new album. 

All of that isn't to say that the process of leaving doesn't have upsides. My parents were in town last week, and it was great to have them here, to show them around and have them drive me around to all the places I want to go so that I don't have to take the bus and buy me things, not to mention the fun we had when we weren't trying to kill each other. Last night I went out to dinner with a friend, Elizabeth. from elementary school who I've only seen a few times since, and we had one of those conversations that makes you realize there are some people who have grown up to be like you, and who you can have a meaningful conversation with in spite of years of having been apart. It's really nice to know that there are people like Elizabeth out there who are bright, interesting and insightful who I haven't met yet or talked to in years.

Ugh I promise these will stop being so depressing soon, just bear with me!