Farewell-The Party and other ruminations

my kind of place....
Well, it finally happened last night...the dreaded and anticipated "Going Away Party"...I only say that because it was the one night I was not looking forward too..the goodbyes and the reality of the journey...As excited as I am to venture out it all seems so strange when your friends and family who you see and love so often are there to say, "we will miss you dearly, but we are excited for you!"  There are moments in life when the profound truth of the situation comes screaming to life as it did last night...the meaning of true love and friendship that has been given to me by all my friends, my dad, Swirly, my sister and my mom, Sophia...all of them are pulling for me...I was more emotional last night than i have been in a long time as one by one, they said goodbye and I watched them go...knowing that I would of course see them again, but also knowing that life would not be the same for any of us...I was struck by the love of my friends for each other during last nights party...it was as if they all felt the same thing...a connection to the loss of another friend, but a joy to meet tribe members and find new ones at the same time...it made me think that at all times we are responsible for our love in friends as it is the blessing we give to them as well as what we receive.  By bringing together all my friends, I was able to share them and it somehow made things feel right.  

At one point my dad called everyone into the main living room and his words of love and encouragement are words I will never forget..I was trying not to get emotional, but it was so amazing to hear him say how proud he is and how excited.  My dad's blessing is one of the most important to me and it is because of him that I am able to take such a leap of faith.  He is also my best friend and it will most likely be the toughest transition for me as our relationship is more like brothers these days.  As he said, it will simply change the dynamics and force other things to take place.  Things that I can't imagine..like my sister stepping up and becoming more of a center piece in his life and Christine's, even taking this opportunity to go to Motorcycle Safety Foundation so she can learn to ride a motorcycle...i am excited for Taylor to get closer to my dad and to Christine and as my dad said, this would only come about with my absence...a sort of twist that is unexpected in all our lives.  I love my dad.
My sister was there too...celebrating her brother and giving me the usual unconditional support and love that she always does...This may all sounds sappy and ridiculous, but who cares...it is the real shit... we need to cherish and remember and embrace, because that is all we have in the end..."Happiness is best when shared with someone else"...or that is what i think the quote was at the end of Into The Wild...read it if you haven't or at least see the movie..that is the truth..that was last night.  Sharing the love and joy and happiness and receiving.  I love my sister.  And anyone that has negative connotations to the words "Step Mother"...check yourself because mine is the bomb (ok..that was for you Swirly...all said in Napolean Dynamite dialect) Swirly's support and love is overflowing for my entire family and it's superhuman. Thanks Swirly. I love you too.  

Ok...so at this point, it is more than clear that I am blessed and lucky and as this day comes to a close and my new journey begins tomorrow at 8 am with my best friend Gus as my co pilot, I will go into my wild with open heart and the love of all my friends and family and I will be proud and strong and brave and humble and worthy of it all...To those I have not mentioned personally, this would simply take too long and fill too many pages and i am exhausted, but each and everyone of you know who you are and that I will miss you greatly...this is the end of a big chapter in my life...here in Santa Monica, where I once ran around the block in a pair of underwear and nothing else, where I fell in love, where I rode like the wind and where I became a man.  I am that man...the road is long and i am on it...See you in Colorado my friends.

For all the pics...go to the flickr link and see Going Away..

(The party...also starring: Hamilton, Gus, Lisa, Guggan, Mike B, John K, Mike and Charlotte, Alex and Laurette, Kent!, Taegen, Kathleen, Celine, Susan, Jaque, Alex and Fielden, Pabalito, Joe, David, Pauly, Susan(the english one), and of course Monkey....