The weird thing about leaving

I have just a few short days left here in Medellín, and as the hours have wound down, I've been struck by how much more free, more bold I feel as the moments tick away.

In country after country, I've seen this same pattern - that last week is the most adventurous one, where I'll eat at that sketchy place, join that group at the bar, strike up that conversation, dive into all those situations I'd previously said, not today to.

It's been on my mind as I've made the last trips around my favorite places. Why do I feel most comfortable, confident, bold when I'm about to leave?

And I don't have a certain answer.

Maybe it's because I grew up moving, place to place, school to school.

Maybe it's social anxiety, and the comfort of knowing even if I screw this up, I'll never see these people again.

Maybe it's that simple power of nothing to lose.

But it's real, and it follows me, year after year, through decades of life.

I wonder - do you ever experience this sort of thing? Is there a freedom you find in a goodbye?

Let me know. I'd love to hear from you. :)

-Steven

pre-s. If you haven't sent your thoughts over on last week's Reader Roundtable on finding space, there's still time! I'm hearing so many fascinating things from everyone, and I'd love to hear from you too. :)

p.s. The best thing I read all week was this fascinating piece on relationships - what if the secret is spreadsheets?