03-16-05 Dear Diary,

Man, I am exhausted! This had to be one of the longest days of my life. It started off at five in the morning. We had our championship game today in softball. We kicked booty! WE played the Firehawks and beat them eight to one. Stacey pitched an awesome game. The pitches came so fast the other team could barely see them. Only two of their players managed to hit the ball and I got one out on first and the other managed a homerun. I scored two homeruns, one of which was a grand-slam and I made a total of four runs. It was the most exciting game I've ever played in, a perfect way to spend my last day in Boston.

After the game we went to a Becky's house and it turns out there was a pig end of season/ farewell party for me and Stacey. It was wicked. We danced and played lame games, did karaoke and all sorts of stuff for like five hours. Then I came home and finished packing and had a nice dinner with my family. They can be a pain sometimes, but I'm really going to miss them. I hope I'll be allowed home on holidays and stuff.

After dinner I met Billy at the park, and did the thing I'd been dreading the whole week. It was really cold and I kept thinking about how the white mist leaving my mouth as I broke up with him was like a spirit delivering a horrible message. It was a really weird thought and kept distracting me. It actually went pretty well. He understood that I was leaving him not because I didn't like him, but because I was going away. He said he would always remember me because I was the first girl he'd ever been in love with and that he was sorry he didn't tell me sooner. I told him that I loved him too and that I hoped we could stay friends through emails and stuff. He agreed that we should keep in touch. Then we kissed goodbye. I'm really sad, but fortunately I'm excited enough about where I'm going that it doesn't hurt too much to bear. I'm sure I'll find love again, but Billy will always have been my first.

My plane leaves at seven and I have to be at the airport by six so I better hit the hay. Not that I think I'll be able to sleep or anything, but I might as well make an effort. Tomorrow will be a whole new chapter of my life.

~Abby~