I hate goodbyes. This week has been hard for me. I just now realized that. Too many people are leaving Lebanon - good people. I will miss them.

This evening, as I sat on the balcony of some friends, overlooking the airport and Beirut from an angle I'd never seen before, I considered how precious people are in our lives. I wanted to taste the moment forever - sitting and talking about life, the past, God, the future, dreams and hopes. I wanted to be able to wake up in two years' time and still be able to feel the breeze on my skin, still be able to taste the Swedish cheesecake and European coffee, still be able to see the change in everyone's eyes as we got word of yet another bomb in the city.

Tonight I will try to put these loads of thoughts and emotions onto paper, forever etched with carbon and ink. I will try not to think about how much I will miss certain individuals who were just beginning to become special to me. I will try not to feel hopeless. Instead, I will try to hope for what is to come - reunion and joy and more good surprises to come.