...the end.

On Saturday, we did some shopping and packed and stuff. We played this fun game called Whoonu, from the Cranium people. You basically have to guess what a person's favorite things are. It wasn't too hard for us, since we've been around each other for a while now. The next day, after church, we went over to the house of one of the church members for our cast party. They served us a five-course meal. It was VERY good and VERY filling. Later, Barrett debriefed Reneyah and Jonathan, after which we had one last game of Wizard. The next morning, we dropped Jonathan off at the Calgary airport for his 10:00 flight, and Reneyah at her house. None of us cried; at least, not when we said goodbye. Our drive to Calgary was quiet, and had an air of finality to it. I just kept thinking, "This is it. This is the end. I'm saying goodbye today." The rest of us were debriefed that day. It was good to talk to Barrett about the tour; it kinda gave me perspective and closure. He hasn't made it to my blog very often, because he wasn't on the road with us, but I really enjoyed working with him during rehearsal.
Later, we went and played Frisbee golf, which was less Frisbee golf than it was Human Pincushion. There were SO MANY mosquitoes. They're out in droves because of all the wet weather in Southern Alberta. I didn't win golf, but I might have won the mosquito bite competition.
The next morning, Jeremy and Rhonda took me to the bus station in Claresholm, where we said goodbye. When the bus stopped in Edmonton, I remembered six months ago going the opposite direction, nervous and apprehensive, getting ready for whatever God was planning on doing in me.
It's pretty crazy, having travelled for six months across Canada with four former strangers. I was thinking about how well we know each other, and I think that can be measured by our stories. We know each other's stories; the funny ones, the sad ones, the ones we consistently repeat, our life stories. I was thinking, too, that I know how each of them tells a story. Jeremy; fairly matter-of-fact and concise. Rhonda; with copious detail and precision. Reneyah; constantly searching for dates and names, with bursts of emotion as she remembers each detail. Jonathan; eyebrows raised, eyes wide, using his hands for emphasis. Myself; well, apparently I can get pretty excited.
Then there's those times when you just know what someone else is thinking, and you look at each other and burst out laughing, and everyone kinda looks at you. Even better is when you know how someone's going to react before they do. One prime example; we were driving past an old, ivy-covered building that I knew Reneyah would just love, and as soon as she saw it, would exclaim how beautiful it was. So I pointed at it and said "Reneyah, freak out over that building." I was not disappointed.
Now, our paths have diverged again as we go on with our "normal" lives. I'd say mine is probably the closest to normal; I'm going back to school, whereas the other four are all continuing in missions work. I can't wait to hear their stories, to see how God uses them. Maybe we'll have a ten-year reunion. Regardless, I have a feeling I'll see all of them again someday.
One more entry coming, stay tuned...