One Last Louisville Ribbit Before Leaping From the Brown School Pond Once Again. This Lilypad I Love For Life

It seems rather appropriate that as I hiked my last Louisvillian trails yesterday, I came across a pond with lilypads and frogs. A few dragonflies wandered by, as did turtles sticking their heads out of shells upon logs.

That is the world I fell in love with in Kentucky and I'm glad to see everything is as it should be - more developed, but Louisville just the same.

And this morning I head out on a flight back to my new realities, realizing that visiting Louisville is like visiting Syracuse - it just isn't enough time. I have 15 years of roots carved into the soil of this city, and my foundation is rocked a bit from not having enough time to see everyone and to visit all the places that were central to my existence here.

It's as if I never left - it's as if I have never been here. All of it is surreal and unbelievable. One thing is for sure...I have family in two locations.

Now, others in the class of 2001 are marrying this spring and it looks like I may need to return for another visit. We shall see, as it all depends on my spring semester schedule.

I definitely did not have enough time to see nearly as many people as I wanted. I don't even think a week would cover the territory needing to be trekked.

And so, Louisville, I say good bye for now. 7 years ago, I packed an Explorer and took off. It was a hard move, but a necessary one. I grew a lot from my departure and have grown even more from visiting this place that was so special to me for so much of my life.

I am a thankful man. Not everyone could be this lucky.