Leaving plans

There comes a sudden awareness that your time on Iona is drawing to an end.  The Wednesday prior to your departure it occurs to you that next week you won’t be saying farewell, but boarding the ferry.  It is a faint and distant consciousness.  However, on Friday at the jetty waving off the guests you realize that you will not be present for the next group of guest’s departure.  Shortly after that at the first of three morning meetings, it will be announced that you are leaving.  You will be asked to tell if you are having a leaving service and what the particulars of that might be.  At lunch on Friday you will be asked to say something to all your fellow staff members.  For the first time since you arrived you will not be able to work on leaving cards, because it’s your leaving card.  

I have two colleagues leaving with me, one from Australia and one from Oregon in the U.S.  We have planned our leaving service and will serve smores (they were a big hit).  I will have Tuesday off this week rather than Wednesday.  I will have a couple of gatherings on Tuesday.  Wednesday we leave on the 7 a.m. ferry.  We are also planning for breakfast in Oban (or the ferry) that includes eggs and bacon.  My two friends will take the bus to the south to visit the Isle of Islay.  I will continue on by train to Glasgow.  One of my cousins will meet me there and I will visit with my Scots family.