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Tag:

The Last Time I Saw You

    Dating and Relationships

    The Last Time I Saw You (Part Eight)

    by Brenna Holeman September 10, 2019
    written by Brenna Holeman
    September 10, 2019
    19 comments
    8 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Dating and RelationshipsStories

    The Last Time I Saw You (Part Seven)

    by Brenna Holeman August 29, 2017
    by Brenna Holeman August 29, 2017

    The last time I saw you, we hugged goodbye at the airport. It was cold outside, a dark November morning. The air felt sharp in my lungs, like if I breathed in…

    7 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Dating and RelationshipsStories

    The Last Time I Saw You (Part Six)

    by Brenna Holeman January 2, 2017
    by Brenna Holeman January 2, 2017

    The last time I saw you, we said goodbye casually, like new friends. We were surrounded by other people, everyone hugging each other goodbye, and you and I hugged just once, brief and unfamiliar. I kissed you, a quick one, on the side of your mouth. I don’t think you were expecting it.

    “Have an amazing time, whatever you end up doing,” I said to you, looking up. You were always one of the tallest in the group. You smiled at me, your eyes crinkling, but your mouth stayed tight-lipped, not showing your teeth. You nodded once, and turned to hug someone else, my last image of you being one of someone else’s embrace.

    4 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Dating and RelationshipsStories

    The Last Time I Saw You (Part Five)

    by Brenna Holeman July 11, 2016
    written by Brenna Holeman
    July 11, 2016
    61 comments
    3 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Stories

    The Last Time I Saw You (Part Four)

    by Brenna Holeman August 10, 2015
    by Brenna Holeman August 10, 2015

    The last time I saw you, we hugged on the tube platform. I had just moved to London, and you happened to be passing through, just visiting. I remember the sound of the train as it rushed past us, thinking I could say anything to you and you probably wouldn’t hear me. We hugged for just a second too long, or maybe a few seconds. And then we separated, and looked at each other, both of us waiting for the other to do something, or say something.

    We met on the backpacker trail in Central America. I was travelling on my own, but had quickly made friends with a group of people in my guesthouse. One of the guys in the group had met you at another guesthouse, and so you came along to a dinner of conch baliadas one night. You were a bit taller than me, with brown hair and grey eyes. I remember noticing your laugh, the way you had the ability to make everyone feel like the funniest person at the table. You were tanned a dark brown, and the only man at the table not wearing a singlet.

    4 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Stories

    The Last Time I Saw You: London Edition (Part Two)

    by Brenna Holeman August 18, 2014
    by Brenna Holeman August 18, 2014

    The last time I saw you, you were walking away from my flat, waving. As you turned the corner I still had a smile on my face. And then – you disappeared.

    We met in a crowded east London bar over the thud of dance music and the raucous laughter of those still drinking at 3am. The next day I could barely remember your face, but knew you were tall and Scottish. I remembered giving you my number and laughed out loud; as if you’d ever call, I thought. As if you’d ever call.

    5 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Dating and RelationshipsStories

    The Last Time I Saw You: London Edition

    by Brenna Holeman May 12, 2014
    written by Brenna Holeman
    May 12, 2014
    28 comments
    5 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Dating and RelationshipsStories

    The Last Time I Saw You (Part Three)

    by Brenna Holeman February 13, 2014
    by Brenna Holeman February 13, 2014

    The last time I saw you, I was looking down from a balcony, Juliet to your Romeo.

    “Good night,” you called out.

    “Good night!” I called back, even though I knew it was really goodbye. You walked away through the palm trees, headed to the beach on which we’d met.

    That day had been my first day underwater as a scuba diver, and so, by the time the sun was getting low and heavy on the horizon, I was already buzzing with energy and laughter. Our dive group celebrated at the local bar, migrating to the sand as bonfires were lit, drinking cold beers and watching paper lanterns fill the sky. It was around one of those fires that I first saw you, the light flickering shades of red across your face.

    “Valentin,” you offered, extending your hand. It took me aback. Today, after all was the 14th of February. “My name,” you confirmed, “is Valentin.”

    1 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Dating and RelationshipsStories

    The Last Time I Saw You (Part Two)

    by Brenna Holeman January 11, 2014
    by Brenna Holeman January 11, 2014

    The last time I saw you, you were waving, grinning, the vision of you on a motorbike disappearing over one last hill. We had spent a week on a motorbike together, sharing the road with rusty trucks and elephants. I’d grip your waist, squeeze on one side or the other to direct you. We got lost, every day, and I had never had so much fun doing so.

    I met you on one of my first days on the island, under the thatched roof of a bar that served alcohol in buckets. You were ten years older than me, your laugh lines defined, your smile the kind that lit up your face, lit up mine. My hair was so long I could almost sit on it, and you placed one flower behind my ear, my left ear.

    “No, no,” I laughed, taking the flower from my left and placing it behind my right. “I’m single. Single women wear flowers behind their right ears.”

    2 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Dating and RelationshipsStories

    The Last Time I Saw You: Part One

    by Brenna Holeman September 23, 2013
    written by Brenna Holeman
    September 23, 2013
    32 comments
    4 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

About Me

About Me

Hi, I'm Brenna

My name is Brenna Holeman and I drink a lot of whisky. No, wait. That’s not how I want to start. After travelling to more than 100 countries over the past 16 years, many of them solo, I tend to write about travel a lot, but I write about other things, too: getting dumped, buying way too much jewellery, and yeah, OK, whisky (none of those things are related, I swear). You’ll find a mix of advice, opinion pieces, and stories on this blog, but either way, I hope to make you want to read more. And up next? I'm now a single mom to a beautiful baby boy, the biggest solo adventure I've ever been on. For more about me and what you'll find on This Battered Suitcase, click here.

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INSPIRATION

Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life." - Jack Kerouac

About Brenna

This Battered Suitcase is not only about the where and the how of travel, it's about the who and the why.

Originally from Canada, all I've ever wanted to do is travel. After eleven years of solo travel and over 90 countries, I'm currently living in London and fulfilling my other dream of becoming a writer. If I'm not travelling, I'm writing about it, either for my blog, my job, or my book. I firmly believe there is adventure everywhere, so long as you keep your eyes (and your mind, and your heart) open. Join me as I continue to look for these adventures. Hopefully you'll find your own, too.

For more, click here.

WHERE AM I?

Last stops: Manitoba, Canada

Currently: Manitoba, Canada

Up Next: Manitoba, Canada (are you sensing a theme?)

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AFFILIATE POLICY

Please note that some links on This Battered Suitcase are affiliates (at no extra cost to you); I only recommend products I use and love. This Battered Suitcase is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

INSPIRATION

"Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life." - Jack Kerouac

Currently in

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA

Last Stops: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Up Next:  Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

(AKA: STAY HOME)

Disclosures

This Battered Suitcase is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and links to Amazon.com. For the full disclosure/privacy policy, please click here.

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This Battered Suitcase
  • Home
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  • Destinations
    • Africa
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      • Cambodia
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      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Israel
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Macau
      • Malaysia
      • Mongolia
      • Myanmar
      • Nepal
      • The Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Sri Lanka
      • South Korea
      • Thailand
      • UAE
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Bulgaria
      • Croatia
      • Cyprus
      • Czechia
      • Denmark
      • England
      • Estonia
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Latvia
      • Liechtenstein
      • Lithuania
      • Luxembourg
      • Malta
      • Monaco
      • Netherlands
      • Northern Ireland
      • Norway
      • Poland
      • Portugal
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • San Marino
      • Scotland
      • Slovakia
      • Slovenia
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      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
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    • North America
      • Antigua and Barbuda
      • Barbados
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      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Dominican Republic
      • Grenada
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • Jamaica
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      • Panama
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    • Oceania
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