My best friend and I have known each other since we were in 7th grade. We have been super close at times and mere aquaintances at others, but one thing has never changed and that is that we have always been there for each other. We both agree that we were just "meant to be" friends. Our life paths have been nothing alike yet we always seem to be in the same place at the same time. For instance, she married at 18, right out of high school and moved out of state. I struggled to find a college to accept my horrible high school grades and barely made it out of the city. But no where where we were, we have always found that we related in a much deeper way that only we could understand. We both struggled our way through our final year of college, not giving up because of the encouragement of the other. She even came with me on my family (the WHOLE family) vacation one summer, just because. I moved to Paris, her and her husband backpacked through Europe before moving to Africa (staying in my Parisian apartment, no bigger than 100 square feet for a little under a week). And our latest adventures have brought us closer, understanding the loneliness one feels upon being the "new kid" in town, especially when our hearts are in other countries, far, far away.
Recently, her husband changed jobs which caused them relocate to a city a few hours away. We have both struggled with the unknowns and unfamiliarities of being in a new place and trying to start life all over again; neither of us with a solid group of friends yet. So this weekend, after her family had come back in town for a visit, I decided it was a good chance to take a mini vaca and bum a ride back to Austin with her and spend a couple of days living the good life. (And by good life I mean that we ate our way through the city and taking naps in the afternoon, required by her almost 1 year old).
Sometimes I find it can be so easy to get so overwhelmed by your day to day life. Whatever that may look like. Being a mom, being an adult, being unemployed or employed. Whoever you are, where ever you are, I am sure you have found yourself in that spot many times. I find myself there a bit more often than I'd care to admit these days, but there is one thing I can say that reverses that, and that is some quality time with some quality people. And a change of scenery sure does not hurt.
These past few days were exactly what the doctor ordered. Forced relaxation. (I finished a book I'd been dying to finish!!!) Fun. Laughter. And time spent with people who you don't need to explain yourself to because they just get it.
There have been a lot of lessons that I've been learning over the last months since I moved back from my experience of living in the wonderful Paris; lessons I'm sure we could all stand to learn. I'd be willing to bet that there are many people I could relate to in this season of life. Sometimes I wonder if I should expose myself to the world wide web. But most of the time I find I am scared to even expose myself privately, to a personal journal. That soon will need to change if I am to fully bloom from the caterpillar into the beautiful butterfly.
But in the mean time, I am a bit rejuvenated from what I think is a necessity in life, and I'm so glad I had this opportunity. Good friends are hard to come by, which is why I'm not looking to get rid of mine anytime soon!!!
Have a great week, all!
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