The pile is growing...

I've made some decent progress in my packing today, so my pile of boxes is growing. This makes me feel both successful (because I'm making progress) and annoyed (because there are more boxes taking over my apartment). My bedroom stuff, except clothes, is packed up. The next room to tackle is the kitchen.

I had dinner with some friends last night and said goodbye as it will be the last time I see them for a while. It got me thinking about friendships. I've loved living in Philly but it's been hard to be so far away from many of the friends I've made over the years, and from my family. I've made some wonderful friends here at seminary, and now we'll all be separated for a year. I know I'm not always the best at keeping in touch with people too. But I've also learned over the years to be more realistic about how temporary or lasting different relationships are, and that some friendships are able to be maintained even when you can't talk on a regular basis. To my friends who are reading this: I hope you know that even if we don't talk often, I sincerely value the way you've touched my life. And to my family: I love you and am so thankful for your support! And speaking of friends and family, my mom recently went on her annual "buddies" trip to Richmond, and it makes me hope that when I'm her age, I'll still be going on trips with my friends! My mom's pretty cool like that. :)