Full Circle

So in the past few days even as I prepare to do something I've never done before in my life (go overseas) I've had quite a few deja vu moments. Do you guys ever have those moments in life where it feels like no matter where you go or what you do or experience you come to a place and you can't believe you're back in that place again, right back to your roots. Its good to have places like that I think, things we can always come back to. For me I'm back in Apex, back in my house, and in a familiar situation. It seems like every time I come here any more its a hub on the way to somewhere else. It's pretty much accepted at this point that every time I come home half my bed is covered in clothes and other things that I know I'm going to turn around and pack up to go somewhere else within a few days. Just like the beginning of last summer, I've only unpacked from Raleigh long enough to pack to go somewhere else for the summer. Yet I'm so thankful for this place, I love my parents so much and all they do for me, if I didn't stop here on the way to everywhere else I'd never be prepared to go to those places. Many of you college students can probably relate to me that home is one of the only marks of consistency on our ever-changing, always on the move lives. The other day my mom told me she knew I was home because she came home to a full house. No matter how long its been since I've been here, I always come home to friends who are quick to come over (mostly to get the rare opportunity to see me before I move on to somewhere else) which is another huge blessing.

Speaking of which, last night I had a party over here, with Katherine Nieman? Who'd have thought haha, another deja vu moment for sure but yet totally unexpected, another thing had come full circle. Throwing a party with her was far from being a new thing, shes been my best friend since I was a sophomore in High School and we've thrown countless parties together. I know I have gotten her with at least 2 surprise parties (pretty good I might add) and together we've planned surprise parties for other people, birthday parties, graduation parties, going away parties, you name it we've probably done it. But then there was that year where we weren't on speaking terms, oh yeah that ended  last month haha, and I thought our group of friends from high school who came to all those parties would never be all together again. All of those people in my house last night listening to music, joking, laughing, needing absolutely nothing but each other to entertain ourselves was such a familiar scene, yet so weird to see it again after I'd accepted that it was thing of the past. I was so happy, it felt like a dream, but it wasn't. And then there's the fact that it was in fact a goodbye party, and Katherine is moving back to Michigan. There's another thing coming full circle, her whole life. I can't even imagine. It's so bittersweet though that we're just getting back to being really close friends and shes leaving. I've had goodbye parties for her before, but never one where I had no idea when the next time I'd get to see her would be. I'm really grateful we fixed things before all this happened, that was totally God. Katherine, if you're reading this, you've impacted my life in more ways than I even know in these past 5 years, and I'm going to miss you so much. I'll be praying for you.

So here I am, unpacking from school and repacking for Africa, its unbelievable, and it hasn't even sunk in yet. Katherine is gone and I don't know when I'll see her again, that hasn't really sunk in yet either. And despite all that everything feels so normal, because I'm at home, and this is a recurring circle in my life. I'm so pumped for Africa, but after the party last night I can't help feeling pretty nostalgic (if you can't tell). Monday morning I go put all of this in the rear view again, only to be back in 6 weeks. Here goes the beginning of another circle. I wonder who I'll come back as this time?