Blast from the Past / Closing Chapters

It was the end of the summer of 2014. The gushes of air whisked against my face. With the window panes rolled down, there were no distracting gleams from the admiration of the sights to behold. Every part of my face glaciated, but I had no cares about it. I rammed my eyes shut as I savored this moment of transient bliss. It didn’t take much energy to rest my eyes after the taxing they endured from all the warm, salty tears streaming from my eyelids earlier that night. While it seemed endless earlier, there were no more tears left now. There was just numbness skirting from my fingers to my toes. I was chill to the bone, but I muted my lips, because I delighted in basking in any feeling whatsoever. Every little detail absorbed into my head like a sponge. The strands of my hair gorged into my mouth from the wind. I traced my fingers on the dark, leather seats below me one last time. A part of me felt like I was lost in daydream, adventuring in this familiar car jam-packed with my dearest friends. The melody of our laughter crescendoed into the skies as those closest to me soldiered on while battling their own silent despair at my departure in the morning. Dashing through the streets of San Francisco at midnight, they knew that these kind of night drives were always my favorite. It was the perfect way to celebrate my last night at home before leaving behind all that I knew to journey on a fresh adventure in college.

Strung up bulbs dangling from the ceiling, polaroid photos dispersed across the coffee table, and succulents adorned the dining room. I walked into the living room and was welcomed by the beaming smiles of everyone who had the greatest impact on life in the last seven years. I would later find out that all these decorations were gifts from everyone to decorate my dorm room. They all knew me too well. After devouring my favorite foods, it was now sharing time. One by one each person prepared a speech about when they first met me. Sentimental tones radiated the words shared about how my relationship with each of them developed, the specific attributes they were thankful for, and excitement about what God had in store for me.

“We’re not going anywhere. We’ll always be your home,” one of them summed up.

Tears of joy and sorrow streamlined down my face. One by one, their words tumbled down and penetrated my heart. The heaviness squeezed it like a sponge and I couldn’t hold back any longer. I despised crying in front of people, but I couldn’t stop the tears from tumbling. I didn’t want to leave everyone in this room who has seen all the good, bad, and ugly. I couldn’t imagine stumbling across any strangers who could love me so well like the way they all did, but I knew it was time to close this chapter and start a new one.

After the squeezing of hugs and exchange of aching goodbyes, my four closest friends and I lingered on the sidewalk. Their gentle smiles calmed me as I could tell there was one last surprise.

"How about one more adventure, Victoria?", they asked. Of course, they already knew the answer.

Flying through all the familiar streets that night, I marveled at all the intricacies of San Francisco. I breathed in deeply the air as I breathed in deeper the way the city lights twinkled over the height of all the skyscrapers. As we passed by the bridge down by the pier, I tried to fixate on that one particular snapshot. I knew there weren’t going to be a bridge like this lit up where I was heading. Just like the rushing car swooshing by the sight I called home, the fading memory of every restaurant and store flew by quick while simultaneously in slow-motion. The night was young and my city was alive. I was lost in a daydream. Yet, I knew that in several short hours, I would be found and awaken back into reality. The sunbeams will rise as the dawn of unknowns in the horizon was my future.