Reflections on departing from Ithaca

These three weeks in Ithaca have been so much more than I'd expected. God has blessed my life and made it rich with friends. It has been an extraordinary bounty and privilege to spend so much time with so many wonderful people, to reconnect with old friends and to catch up on news. Watching one's friends progress through life parallel to one's own is amazing; it lends perspective to the journey and enriches the entire experience. My deepest gratitude goes out to all my friends, recent and long-standing, who have blessed my life by their warmth, their insight, their thoughtfulness and their character. It's been humbling and enlightening and oh-so-enjoyable. I depart out of this city with my heart set firmly on the Almighty, trusting in Him, and confident that whatever this world of ours must undergo it will emerge stronger and more beautiful because of the people that inhabit it. Words can barely express how joyful and at peace I am right now. Truly inspiring. Thank you, thank you, thank you.