The Long Goodbye

Goodbyes are never easy. They are a messy rush of "remember-whens" and "should've-dones". They almost always require parties, comfort food, and a healthy dose of spirits.

My best friend, Justin, broke the news first. He is moving to LA at the end of July. He needs sun and space. About a week after his announcement, I have one of my own. I will be taking up an Artist-In-Residency in Manizales, Colombia starting August 1st. Our friend Caitlin cries proud tears for us both, but then discovers she has successfully landed a role in the National Tour of Flashdance. She will be on the road until February. Brynn & Luis, Buster-the-Dog, Luna-the-Cat, and Crazy-the-Cockatoo are creating a beautiful place to call home in Astoria.  Faiz is climbing the ladder of success at a big-shot NY financial institution and helping his friends on the way up. Our tight group is slowly moving apart as we choose our different paths. We are creating our own mark together and separately. Adulthood.

I moved to New York City six years ago. I was 22 and fresh off the truck from Indiana with a degree in Fine Arts. I was incredibly talented and intelligent according to my professors (and, of course, my doting mother). I was ready to TAKE OVER this town! Well, I did. And I didn't. I found my place, lost it; built a career, changed it; found a man, found another; played dive bars, danced on top of them; spent too much on a fancy apartment, left it to travel. Only one thing has remained constant in my New York life: the beautiful people surrounding and supporting me that I have the privilege to call my friends.

Our friend group - it's special. What friend group isn't? These people... ALL of them... have seen me naked at some point. If you know me, that may not seem any less ordinary than, say, cooking breakfast in the morning. Oh, and the cooking. We cook together often. Intimate dinner parties, Book Club discussions with food themed around our monthly pick, huge Thanksgiving Feasts complete with all the fixins, and quirky baked potato bars at our yearly getaway in Woodstock have all been part of our gastronomic journey.

Justin and I decided the best way to say goodbye would be a sensible RAVE. That's right folks. There was even a glowstick at one point. The party would commence at 9PM on Friday and come to a slow-rolling stop around 5AM on Sunday. Friends were encouraged to come and go as they pleased, but Justin and I were going the distance.
Our schedule was as follows:

Friday July 11
9PM - East Village Bar Crawl (9th Ward, HiFi, Grassroots Tavern)

Saturday July 12
12AM - Continued merriment in the East Village

5:30AM - Breakfast at Veselka

6:30AM - Dawnlight car ride to Astoria (Jana's apartment)

7AM - rest/light music/downtime

11AM - COFFEE!

12PM - Brunch at Mojave

2PM - Astoria Park (champagne in the shade, tossing a frisbee)

6PM- Return to Jana's apartment/preparations for dinner

8PM - DINNER!

10PM - The Final Party!

1AM - Choose your own adventure: Gay Dance Club, Salsa Club, Home Chill Out, or Dive Bar

Sunday July 13
5AM - The Final Goodbyes

What a rave it was. It was everything I wanted, extended just long enough, and filled to the brim with delicious food, plenty of spirits, and the most beautiful friends a girl could ask for.

Thank you.