Of A Way To Say Goodbye

I have to leave this country in two days.

I have to say goodbye. But I don't want to.

How can you say goodbye to something that has taken so much of your heart? I've grown to love so many people down here and I've fallen in love with Granada as a whole.

But, I have to leave. I can't stay- you might ask why? Well, since I'm still on my trip, my teammates and I are all going back to the states at the same time. I can't change that.

Some of my friends down here have "offered" to steal my passport and destroy it so that I can't leave...

I'm going to miss them all alot.

And so now I come to the place of having to say goodbye. But I don't want to say goodbye. "Goodbye" has such finality to it.

I know I will be coming back to Granada. When, for how long, and why? I have no idea. But I know this isn't the end. So why act like it is?

I was thinking of just saying "Hasta luego" (see you later)

My mom (a military wife for much of her married life) told me she says "I'll see you as soon as I can see you"

I could also say "Hasta pronto" (see you soon)

Some other ways to say goodbye:

auf wiedersehen - german

salam - arabic

veloma - malagasy

slan-irish

tot ziens - dutch

{I got these from wikihow.com--- so I hope they're right}

I really don't know what I'm going to say. I might just end up hugging each person, not wanting to let go... and then finally looking at them and saying "well this was fun..."