Bon Voyage

[Jiro]

Going away parties, right. How do you determine whether or not you're supposed to have one? Is it purely time related? Is it purely distance related? Is it some magical combination of both? Where do we draw the line on any of them anyway?!

Let me give you some examples. Say I was moving to Melbourne forever. I assume the duration of the trip is worthy of a going away party (or does permanently moving somewhere change things????). Now the distance is such that it wouldn't be impossible to see friends and/or family once a year or so, but it's certainly not a short little jaunt down a dusty dirt track.

Let's say I went on a six week trip to Edinburgh. That's definitely far away, but is it long enough? Six days? Six months?

But see now I have another problem. Is it all geographically relative? I mean, moving interstate in Australia is a pretty smurfing big deal. Moving interstate in the US is nowhere near as bad (depending on how many states away you go, of course). Going overseas from Australia is a huge deal -- New Zealand doesn't count because we own them and Papua New Guinea doesn't count because we used to own them. But if you lived in Europe, going to another country could take you like thirty minutes.

Guys I don't know when going away parties are acceptable. Also is it okay to go to somebody's going away party if you hate them? I feel like it's probably more fitting in that situation. What about, smurf, returning parties? Is there a whole other method for determining when these can happen? Can you have a coming home party without a going away party? Vice versa?

HELP.

[Sephex]

My party flowchart:

Is there booze around? --> Throw a party.

In all seriousness this is probably best discussed with your real life peeps, man.

[Jiro]

It's a hypothetical situation. Aside from the fact that I lack meatspace peeps, I thought it would be an interesting discussion to have with you fine folks of various locales and influences.

[Sephex]

Ah, the way your wrote the post had me thinking something like that was going on in real life, my mistake.

I guess my answer is that if someone is truly going away "forever" or for a very long period of time, then a going away party should be thrown.

[Jiro]

What's the minimum time you have to be away for before you're eligible for a going away party though? Timekeeper once went to Sydney for something like two weeks and a mutual friend made a facebook group wanting him to come back. I thought, perhaps, that he was not gone long enough -- nor quite far enough -- to have warranted this sort of reaction (plus I believe he had a welcome back party of some description) and so I have been puzzling it for some time.

[Sephex]

Yeah, the time of absence should at the very least be a few months. If I went away for a couple of weeks and my group of real life friends threw a party for me, I would be very weirded out.

[Quindiana Jones]

I would've thrown a going away party, since I'm moving country, but I just ran out of time. I'm visiting my nan on Wednesday, though, so.... woo.

[Jiro]

Where are you going? I'll through a going away party for you later this week. You won't be there but I'll celebrate your journey for you.

[Quindiana Jones]

[Jiro]

You can be there too if you want. I'll even pay for your food and booze.

[Quindiana Jones]

And transport?

[blackmage_nuke]

Duration of 1 or more earth rotations and intercontinental : Best bud hang out
Duration of 1 or more Luna Cycles and half or more of a earth rotations travel time: Close friends and/or family gathering
Half or more of a solar orbit or more and half or more of a earth rotation travel time: Casual aquaintence + friends and family blowout

[Shorty]

I'd say a going away party starts at a minimum of three months to forever. ie, if someone is going on a summer trip to Thailand or something, to me that would warrant a going away party. Someone leaving a job or moving away is definitely getting a going away party.

A party that doesn't fall in those lines is just a party for party's sake (and there's nothing wrong with that).

[Jiro]

And transport?

Well I'd prefer to know where you're going first because it might be more cost effective to have a "yay you left" party.

[Quindiana Jones]

Cost effective, but heart-breaking.

Also, France! I'm going to live in Paris.