The day of my departure. An solemn air hung over us all day, no matter how much we tried to pretend I wasn't really leaving. Sushi at Mike's favorite restaurant in Westchester cheered us up a little. It was by far the best sushi I've ever tasted. It's doubtful that'll I'll be able to stand sushi in Michigan for a while, because it pales in comparison.

We got Tim Horton's again and said our goodbyes at the airport, which was ridiculously hard to do. It must have taken 20 minutes to finally say a goodbye that stuck long enough for me to go into the airport and for Mike to drive away.

As I sat at the airport, I couldn't get a line from a movie out of my head. It describes Mike and my relationship perfectly: "I think I would miss you even if I had never met you." I think that there's a part of me that probably wouldn't have existed if I had never met my dears Miles. I'm more myself around him than anyone else. He's my best friend and I already miss him so much. I'm leaving a piece of myself in Vancouver with him, I'm sure of it. How could I not be? He's as much a part of me as my eyes or hands. Even in times when we don't get to talk or see each other, just knowing that someone I connect with so deeply actually exists gives me a strength and understanding of the world that I wouldn't have had we never met.