Dear Erin Maurer....
A letter to a friend long gone, but never forgotten
This blog post, while it has some travel themes, will start off a little differently. It is a letter to an old friend whom I lost just over a year ago to the day. Please enjoy this letter to a person who made an indelible impact on the lives of those around her.
It has been a year since I received the news that you finally found peace. It has been a long year, but your spirit, sense of humor, compassion, and love have and will always remain. Over the past year, with your photo at my desk, you kept watch as I got thrown around like a ping-pong ball navigating the first year of my doctoral program. There were many moments when I felt lost, confused, hilariously anxious, and suffering from an obscene case of impostor syndrome. However, despite these trials, your presence was felt, and the photo of us from Fun Day 2017 reminds me daily that even though you’re gone, your support is still and will always be felt.
It also reminds me that you would always encourage me to keep going. No matter what happens, I should not give up. You would always offer encouraging words, and you would also be an ear I could count on. Even if I were talking some irrelevant twaddle, you would still try to offer some form of insight. I have forged new and meaningful connections and reformed ones I value deeply in the years since. In many ways, the connections made remind me a lot about our friendship, owing to the tremendous laughter and meaningful support we would give one another.
In other news, we finally took that long-overdue trip to Singapore. On the adventure to my humble home country, it presented a fantastic opportunity for you to meet the people near and dearest to my heart. We also managed to go on a boating adventure to explore parts of Singapore I always wanted to show you.
The weather was ideal for me to pay you one more tribute as I helped you dive into the great beyond. I am grateful that you can continue the adventure we started together. Though we could not make the trip the way I would have liked to, I am still happy you got to visit my home and meet my family. While you are gone, in many ways, your glorious spirit has not left us. As we begin yet another chapter, the dynamism of your beautiful character and spirit will guide me toward making you proud and achieving something brilliant. It does not get any easier as the days pass, but I know you are smiling down on us, and your spirit will never leave us. The time spent together will never be forgotten, and I will treasure it forever more. To my friend Erin, words cannot describe how much I miss you dearly, but know you have left a lasting impact that will stand the test of time.
