NOTE: The quality of my photos and videos at this point isn't particularly high, as lately I've favored the convenience and "handy"-ness of my iPhone camera over the quality of my Canon point-and-shoot, which, to be perfectly honest, isn't exactly a Leica or a Hasselblad—or even a good Canon dSLR—itself.
SAYING GOODBYE — DEPARTURE FROM JFK — ARRIVAL IN ZURICH
On Tuesday the 24th of August, after three difficult months spent shoveling sheep shit in Shushan, my days of nervous anticipation had come to end: about five nights earlier, at the incredible DISH Bistro and Espresso Bar in Greenwich, NY, my dad had organized a splendid little going away dinner for me and my good friend Sophie Varosy, who is herself spending a year abroad in Budapest, Hungary. About twenty-five close friends came (we wanted even more to come, but we'd already pushed DISH beyond its seating limit), and all enjoyed a delicious, mostly paleo-friendly buffet-style meal courtesy of the awesome cooking skills of Susan and Scott Garth (I think everybody agreed that all of the dishes went together perfectly). Many people got up to say a few words, including yours truly, but as it was a going away party, the mood was tinged somewhat with sadness, and sniffled-tears and loud guffaws easily mingled as the night progressed. After a tasty dessert, then, our friends slowly but surely left the restaurant, and my countdown to departure became all the more real.