A Short Salute to Erin

This was written on Tuesday while I was offline, so I am posting it today.

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More important than what any place alone has to offer, are the people that you experience a place with. I walked Erin to the shuttle that took her to the airport at 3:30 this morning. As I walked slowly down Granada's empty streets, I stopped often to think and take in the scene. A nice breeze, cool by Nicaraguan standards, rolled off the lake. The main street leading to the lake was well-lit, but uncharacteristically quiet. I was able to take my time and let my mind wander. I realized that with Erin, went a big part of my Nicaragua.

The first time I met Erin, I thought she was a very beautiful girl. As I got to know her, I found that she had a personality and heart that matched her beauty. She is quiet but very sociable, tame but very fun, and in control but very adventurous. Meeting an individual with this combination of traits is very rare, and it makes for a very interesting person.

I would say that Erin is the "type" of girl that I am looking for. But, to say type would cheapen her uniqueness. Instead, I will say that if I had met her under different circumstances, I would have pursued a relationship with her. In many ways, I really wish she was staying here longer. But, I also realize that I may have just got much more attached to her, which would make it even harder to see her go.

I will miss her Australian accent, the way she almost sings when she speaks, the way she uses her head to express herself when talking, our quality conversations, her smile, and her adventurous spirit. As I sat on our patio at 4 in the morning, I found it strange to think that a good friend had been there just moments earlier but was gone, and there is a chance that I will never see her again. This is a sensation that I am not very familiar with. Most of my closest friends are close to home, and I am fairly certain that I will see most of those who are not. For now, I will just be thankful that I was able to meet such a quality individual and hope that our paths might cross again one day.