Hey There Aviva

Tomorrow I will be on my way back to New Jersey, no longer a resident of Washington, DC. Yesterday I seemed to be ok with it, ready to move on. Of course that changed slightly after hanging out with two friends for the “last time” last night and the arrival of my mother who has been spending the day today helping me pack and clean. It will most likely change even more tomororw when my apartment is all packed up and its time to head out.

How do I wrap up six years in a city, a city that embraced an identity change, where I learned to live independently and experienced tremendous social growth and maturation, where I had some of the greatest adventures of my life with some of the greatest people I have ever met?

Everyone says I am going to love NY and I do not disagree. However, it is hard imagining yourself somewhere else when you are enjoying where you are, who you are and who you are with right at this moment.

My now former colleagues, but still current friends at Hillel made leaving very difficult. My last day started off with everyone on my office floor wearing green, my favorite color.

A couple of people in my department also threw a goodbye party for me to which everyone in my office was invited. It feautred ice cream, scrapbook and slideshow presentations, and even a song written by the Frenster to the music of “Hey There Delilah.” Everyone in the room sang to me. It eventually made me cry, but thanks to clever lyrics, I was able to laugh through my tears.

See for yourself why the song was just absolute amazingness:

Hey there Aviva
You are off to New York City
Just an Amtrak ride away
But still, it seems like such a pity
We'll miss you
Times Square can't shine as bright as you
What will we do?

Hey there Aviva
Don't you worry 'bout the distance
If you ever do get lonely
You'll be closer now to Princeton
No surprise
Your love for Jersey never dies
So much pride

Oh just you wait and see
Oh how happy you will be
Living life in NYC
Subway line 1, 2 or 3
To the J-C-C

Hey there Aviva
We know leaving isn't easy
But just believe us, girl
In New York, oh, the pizza is so cheezy
It's really good
You're gonna love your neighborhood
At least you should

Hey there Aviva
Hillel just won't be the same
It's like we've known you for forever
Only by your Hebrew name
And come next Fall
We really hope that you will call
To tell us all

Oh how happy you will be
Living life in N-Y-C
Oh please visit in D-C
You can crash with us for free

We know it's all a lot to take
A whole new life you have to make
For Hillel, this is just the saddest day
We hope you stay good friends with us
and Facebook helps us keep in touch, cuz
we know you'll have so many things to say

Aviva we can promise you
That by the time you learn Hebrew
Shavua Tov will never be the same
Without your name

Hey there Aviva
You be good and keep your grades up
Two more years and you'll be done with school
And then a better paycheck you'll be due
You can work wherever you want to
Maybe for Hillel at NYU

Hey there Aviva here's to you
This one's for you.

Oh how happy you will be
Living life in NYC
Don't forget us in DC
We hope your heart will always be
at the SIC

Woah Ohhh
Woah Ohhh

The slideshow my now former [sigh] boss made for me was pretty fantastic as well. He even posted it on YouTube for all the world to see. Check it out.

I truly am the luckiest girl in the world and I hope that luck continues while I am in NYC.