We have made some good friends here. They are a diverse and fascinating group of people. [Now, I have many diverse and fascinating friends back in Seattle, but these people are different in a way. Their experiences differ from mine a great deal. They have traveled more than I have, for one thing. That is unusual for me. Anyway]<\/p>\n
Being here for a second year has exposed us to a phenomenon I have taken to referring to as “saying goodbye at the wholesale level”.<\/p>\n
There is a fairly substantial turnover every year here at AUC. There are visiting professors, graduate students, post-docs, various visiting fellows etc.<\/p>\n
Some of them were easy to say goodbye to. That sounds harsh, but people come and go in one’s life. Some, while pleasant to have around, don’t leave a big hole when they leave.<\/p>\n
June is filled with going away parties. We said goodbye to people that we are not likely to ever see again.<\/p>\n
Now, one could argue that one never knows if one will see someone ever again. You, or they, could be hit by a bus and poof! they are gone forever.<\/p>\n
But this is different. It is unlikely that we will see these people again even if life proceeds as “normal” and no one gets hit by a bus. They has dispersed to the 4 corners of the earth.<\/p>\n
There are some that we will attempt to stay in contact with. Some that I really do hope to meet again someday, somewhere.<\/p>\n