Saying Goodbye

The banner in the Jamestown Gateway Train Station for the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.
(photo/Kasy Long)

If you know me at all, you know that I hate packing and leaving a place very special to me.

I think that's one thing I wasn't expecting on this trip -- growing so attached to Jamestown and the people I met. I was braced with the new environment and of course, the challenge of my first "professional" job. Though I must admit, as I was packing my bags over the weekend, I wasn't quite ready to return to being "just a student." Being in the "real world" for over two months has completely prepared me for my upcoming career.

As Winnie the Pooh says, "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." I can relate to this quote so much. I was so lucky to have found a place and to have met a group of people who made saying goodbye so hard. I feel as though I grew immensely as an individual this summer. I became the person God created me to be. I'm not exactly a changed person. I'm still Kasy and I still have the same values and personality traits. I know I have changed, but I've only become more of the person I've always wanted to become. I'm now the person God always saw in me. It just took this experience to bring out this special part of me that He always knew was there.

Returning home, it's not starting over. It's not pressing the back button on the summer and going back to the way I was before I started the internship. Instead, it's moving forward and using my experiences to help advance my life even more. It's coming home, and being surrounded by my family and friends. It's returning to my comfort zone in Indiana, and looking forward to my senior year of college. Perhaps a little selfishly, I will have some familiarity in my life again. Instead of asking people where to go, I will know exactly where to go. It's jumping back into the life that I know, but it's also saying goodbye to the life I have grown to love.

I am so grateful for every individual moment and memory I created this summer. I learned so much about communications and marketing. Before I started this internship, I wasn't even aware of my abilities in communications. I had no idea what I was capable of and what I would learn in just two months. I was exposed to so much knowledge. Now that I'm entering my final year of school, I can focus my attention on finding a job in communications and marketing for a thriving cultural museum.

Before I could leave, I had a busy weekend, working on the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival. It was the 25th anniversary of the festival, and the community was already celebrating the 65th anniversary of "I Love Lucy." As we said multiple times during the festival, those are some pretty big numbers, so let's give a round of applause. *Claps enthusiastically*

The 65th Anniversary Exhibition (photo/Kasy Long)

As I have remarked multiple times on this blog, I was in charge of the silent auction and the Lucille Ball Trivia Contest. I was also in charge of promoting the annual free kids comedy show, "Story Pirates," and the annual Stand-Up Showcase. Both shows were packed with eager audience members, so I felt victorious because I knew that I played a small role in the reason for the shows being so well attended.

"Story Pirates" (photo/Kasy Long)

The audience at the Stand-Up Showcase. (photo/Kasy Long)

Lucille Ball Trivia Contest (photo/Kasy Long)

It's a little hard to put my thoughts on paper, for once in my life. I met so many wonderful people during the festival. For one thing, the trivia contest was a huge success. I continued to receive compliments during the entire festival. In addition, the silent auction went so smoothly--much better than I anticipated. It was the best year for the silent auction, from what I heard. I'm so happy that everything I was in charge of went well. It was a huge sigh of relief!

The highlight of the festival was meeting Joe and Mike Mayer, AKA the twins who played Little Ricky on "I Love Lucy." I particularly became close to Joe. I had many conversations with him. I went to the Lucy & Ethel Dinner Show on Friday night, and I saw him there. He was wanting to watch the show with his wife and granddaughter, but they didn't have a ticket. I felt so bad for him. I tried my best to make sure he had the chance to watch the show, and he eventually did.

The show was fantastic! The impersonators were so wonderful. They embodied the characters and I felt like I really was having dinner with Lucy and Ethel. What a treat! Plus, getting my picture taken with them after the show was also so special.

Me with the Lucy and Ethel impersonators. (photo/Kasy Long)

After the show, Joe Mayer came up to me and asked if my car was nearby. I told him it was up the block just a bit. He asked if I could give him and his family a ride to a restaurant. Of course, my mom and I said yes. We drove him and his family to the local restaurant [Shawbuck's Press Room], and I had my picture taken with his family. It was so awesome! Anyone who knows me knows that I was giddy inside the entire car ride. Little Ricky was in my car! I will never forget that experience! It was the highlight of the festival, perhaps the entire summer internship.

Me with Joe Mayer and his family. (photo/Kasy Long)

But like people say, all good things must come to an end for you to prepare for the next thing in your life. After the festival, I packed up my bags and said goodbye to Jamestown. I waved goodbye to the beautiful Lake Chautauqua as I drove on the bridge over the gorgeous water. I slowly made the trip back to Indiana.

Now that I am home, I feel rested and happy. I'm back with my family and in this familiar world I have loved my entire life. I'm back in the land of corn fields and farm houses. I'm back, and I already have mosquito and bug bites all over my legs. But this is home, and I'm so happy to be here again.

I wouldn't have traded my summer experience in Jamestown for anything. It was a wonderful journey, and I will value it for the rest of my life. Jamestown has left a hand print on my heart.

One final thing I have learned: God made each of us with such intention and purpose, and I really like the person He made me to be.