And then there was one

One day left to departure. Currently I'm finalizing packing and stuffing any remaining goods into whatever space I have available, careful not to exceed the maximum weight of Air Canada's regulations. One huge suitcase and two carry-on bags should hold all my belongings. I'm bringing books, music, laptop, SLR camera, and MONAAYYY.

I'm so excited to see the airport again tomorrow. I really hope everything goes as planned. I feel like a child again. I feel like I'm living in a period of breezy and tolerable summer heat from those swell 90's summer days, when my dad used to drive my brother and I to church and throw random words at us, asking us how to spell it. I beat my brother everytime, except for when my dad yelled out "phlegm", which I spelled phonetically with an "f". I reminisce back to the days when I would go abroad during my elementary school summer vacations. The days when I had probably one friend and a handful of relative that would actually miss me when I left the country and returned two and a half months later.

Oh, how things have changed. Now it's all about capturing the moment with my camera and bringing it back to you in high definition quality via facebook. Now it's about staying out late drinking and partying and laughing as a part of the tradition for the departing (me). Now I pay for the dinners and make sure I make time for my boys and girls and now I'm responsible for packing what I need to create my own experience of a vacation. My parents don't tell me what to do anymore and while I bask in the freedom of my manhood, I miss those days. Now I'm the one who has to personally make the phone calls and to relatives thanking them for their birthday cards and gifts and thoughts of me because no one will ever remind me to do so again, not like when I was a kid, never again.

So this is grownup life, realizing your responsible for everything you do. So I feel it's my responsibility to acknowledge some good people in my life. I want to give a few shout outs to the people that actually came to visit me and made time to do so before I left.

Nazeem bro first and foremost, I know you came to my door while I was sleeping on the last day and that was my bad for not being awake:P, but it was good chilling with you the entire week before and I saw your condensor mic and I have some ideas for pics we can take when I get back.

Abdi thanks for the birthday gift buddy, I didn't think you had that much money on you lol...you still owe me $100.

Farhan you owe me $300...thanks for the visits, even though you do that without asking, I'll miss you buddy.

Jasmine thanks for the ride home the other day and for the birthday present, I wish I could take it with me to Lanka but luggage limits disallow it!

Julie thanks for the camera bag and for making Shivani's two hats, I'll make sure she gets it, and wears it!:@...have a great couple of months without my blog, I know you're a big fan:P

Rayan thanks for coming out to dinner with us and for spending quality time with us man.

Marlon thanks for the silhouette, SIN MEN, I'll see you and get drunk with you when you come to tdot.

Pradip you international nigguh, thanks for the cheap and efficient suitcases and voltage converters. Hope your having a blast in India man.

Sarah thanks for the sweet card you sent me, I'm sad I didn't get to see you before I left but I will when I get back :D

Marcus it was great playing ball with you bro. Sorry I had to sell the Wii to someone else man!

George, buddy, always a pleasure. Thanks for the long talks on the phone and killing my battery lol. I look forward to playing uncharted 2 with you when I get back!

Hoskins, Sharlotte, and crew thanks for the hookups and letting me practice my craft using you guys as test subjects. Y'all will go down in history as my first subjects with my ever-expensive external flash...I assure you that will be important and someday you will be proud to say who photographed you first with his first camera and flash :D

And so off I go to a delightful 2 months (regardless of my lack of internet access) halfway across the world. I will be all over the exhuberantly overheated island of Sri Lanka and I promise to return with tons of satisfactory photographs...unless my plane crashes. Thanks to all again for the birthday wishes and presents and good old chill time. I'll see y'all when I get back!

Keep the peace!

-BLOG OUT-