The Longest Goodbye

Pam and I were pretty inseparable before Covid.  We said goodbye to our third musketeer Andrea and started making plans to reinvent life here without her, then we both evacuated when the pandemic hit.  Due to many different circumstances, her family stayed in Canada for two years and never returned, even though their house and belongings were still here.  It always gave me some hope that she would come back and we could enjoy life here together again!

It wasn't meant to work out for us to live here together again, but at least Pam and her family are moving to Houston where I'll be able to see her regularly! And I was super excited that she was able to come back for a few days to pack up her house.  We had a big list of lasts for her to finally say goodbye to her life in Jakarta.

First, a walk, a coffee, and a picture outside of Andrea's old house.

The all-important pork buns at GIOI, which was closed for over a year and I actually hadn't had one since the last time Pam and I were there together!

I was so excited to golf with Pam!  She was incredibly patient to put up with me while I was learning and it was so much more fun to play when I could actually hit the ball. Alice joined us as well for a fun morning.

Can you tell who spent the last two years in Canada and just left the snow?

Naturally, there were a few trips to the spa and one last cream bath at Jamu.

The best buffalo chicken wings in the world at the American Club.

One more Sunday brunch...

...and one last chocolate martini at the Dharmawangsa! Even the ladies that had never met Pam or only met her once turned out to wish her the best and share some laughs together.

I made my peace a long time ago that Pam wasn't coming back, but I'm so thankful for the bonus days to reminisce, laugh, and make a few more memories here together.  Now a reunion in Houston is just around the corner!

We also got to say farewell to Julie Washburn, a friend I've known for years here but only recently spent a lot of time together.  She is on her way to Manila, which happens to be where a few of my other friends are headed soon.  Looks like we may hopefully get to have a reunion in the Philippines one day as well!

 The goodbyes are tough, and we're not done yet for this season of leavers.  But every one makes me so thankful for the people we meet here whose paths cross with ours for months or years. That's what makes the expat life so special.