So! Welcome to my blog! I'm pretty pumped about starting this and having a way to keep all ya'll updated on my fun adventures in Mississippi! I'm going to try my darndest to update as much as possible as to provide the best general idea of my life down south. It will be like blogging in HD. You'll feel as though you're part of the action.In anticipation of leaving for 10 months, I decided it would be a fabulous idea to spend some time with and say farewell to those who have made my life worth living.
The trail started in Idaho with my bff Stacey. Stacey is absolutely fantastic. I love her so much and we had such a fabulous time! I was so excited to finally meet Chloe! She is frakin adorable!
We had such a fun weekend filled with pedicures, fighting Cody on the pure awesomeness of Monicals Pizza, harry potter (with matching tshirts) and a trip to Yellowstone (still rocking our matching tshirts....) Spending time with Stacey made me remember just how strong a connection can be between two people. Stacey and I hadn't seen each other in about a year, and even then we only got to spend half of a day together. And yet, regardless of the amount of time that passes, we still remain best friends. I will always consider her to be my first true best friend. And nothing and no amount of time can change that. And I find a lot of comfort in that.
My next stop was to the absolutely breathtaking state of Oregon. My good friend Stephen moved out there almost 2 months ago and I have always wanted to go to Oregon and was so excited to now have a place to visit! We had a lot of fun, too! We started off by driving to the coast (he had never seen the pacific ocean before! gasp!) and then we drove all the way up to Washington. We spent a lot of time in the car, but it was so worth it. It was so nice being able to catch up with him and also see some beautiful scenery. The rest of the week was spent going on hikes up mountains (no, seriously.. we hiked UP a mountain. it was SO fun.) dominating ulitmate frisbee and football. and getting to meet the people in his life now and experience his daily routines and experiences. It was so great being able to see him thrive in his new home. His courage to start fresh and success in building a new life for himself is so encouraging. I feel very blessed to have him as a friend to lean on for comfort and words of advice. He always seems to have both in abundance. I truly adore that kid and I can't wait to see him again!
We were running extremely late to the airport on Friday (mostly my fault... slacking in helping Stephen clean, too busy talking to his neighbor about dogs, soulmates, and future plans....) and I ended up missing my first flight from Portland and didn't get back to St.Louis until 12:30 in the morning on Saturday. I know I missed some opportunities to say goodbyes to a few people, and that really bums me out, but that is life, I suppose. Saturday night was CryFest 2009. I was fine until one of my favorite people ever, Beth Ann Ballulah, left for the night. After that I'm pretty sure the only time I spent not crying was while I was eating my taco and cinnamon twist pinic style in the parking lot of taco bell with a few of my most favorite people. Saying goodbye to Andrea was heartbreaking, but at the same time, my least worrisome. Our friendship has been through so much and I know that 10 months will, in no way, effect how strong that is... and you know what... I don't hate it. :)
I said my final goodbyes to Evergreen Hall and made it home just in time for my family going away/birthday party. My all time favorite part of the whole night was teaching my oldest niece gracie how to skateboard. She absolutely loves skateboarding! I love seeing her develop her own personality. her like and her dislikes. and the fact that they happen to mirror mine are just a coincidence. I swear.
Basically, I love the people in my life. The past few weeks have made me feel so incredibly lucky to have these people in my life. They make me feel loved. Having friends take the time to say goodbye to me. to cry when they have to leave. to spend the time making cds with songs that remind them of me. to have someone say that they are proud of me and knowing with my whole heart that they really mean it, makes me feel like I can do anything. makes me feel like I can save the world.
