Brandon~
 It’s 3am- I’ll be on a plane en route to Beijing in les than 5 hours now. It seems unreal. By the time you’re reading this I’ll be in Beijing at the threshold of the most amazing experience of my life – as yet.
 But I’ll also be missing you. I’ve put off writing you this letter and I’m sure I’ve written it a million times in my head. These past few weeks with you have been a whirlwind of good times. You walked into my life at a time I think I needed you the most & hopefully at a time you were ready for me… You walked in to me at the bottom of an abyss- a seemingly dark and unforgiving one- trying to search for light & meaning in all the shattered pieces of my life & my heart. Since then, I’ve learned that I never was in an unforgiving abyss- rather, just turned, temporarily, away from the light. You never pushed me- no matter the impulse- to pick up the pieces & put them back together. Instead, in an ever-showing, ever-graceful manner- stood by to help me put those pieces back & make sense of it all. What Chris did- you helped me to make sense of & never in my continual quest to reach a point of peace with it you’ve done nothing short of being wholly understanding. And…it’s been all the difference to me Brandon… all the difference.
 You are a wonderful, awesome, amazing person & I’m so fortunate to have crossed paths with you when I did. I’ve had so much fun with you & learned a lot too. You erase bad days, bad moments. You make me smile & make me think. I like that. I hope I can do the same for you. In short- it’s been intense.
 I know while I’m away I’ll miss you & will think of you often… But I’ve had quite some time to think already. I’ve thought a lot about what it means to “fall in love” with someone… And I’ve thought a lot about how I feel about you. It’s unfair & wrong to compare my love / feelings in a 4.5 year relationship to my relationship with you… So I don’t. Putting past memories and expectations aside I feel myself falling more and more for you and it scares me in a way. Unsure of how I’m feeling… I’m left a little scared.
 Brandon I care about you so much I’m scared to put a label on it. But I hope you can honestly feel in your heart & mind my deep feelings for you… Cause I can feel yours for me. Know that I keep you close to my heart- never to fall away. No matter if I’m in China or right beside you- no matter if you’re in Milan or BlacksVegas ¦-)
 Have an awesome next few weeks. Have tons of fun @ Myrtle Beach and in BlacksVegas.  Enjoy your days & your time. Smile when no one’s looking per your trademark- knowing that I’m thinking of you.

“And even though I know we’re very far
apart / It helps to think we might be sleeping
and wishing on the same bright star  Somewhere
out there / beneath the pale moonlight /
sometimes thinking of [you] and /
loving [you] tonight…”

Love –
Lisa

P.S. XOXOXOXO