When I moved away to college it was no big deal. I knew I had my family and we would talk all the time and I would see them often over breaks and such.
When we graduated from BYU and moved to Oregon it was no big deal. All of my friends had married and were moving in different directions. Now I was with my best friend and we were going on an adventure together.
When we moved from a big Oregon town to a small Oregon town it was no big deal. I hadn't made any connections/friendships during our 2 years in that apartment so I wasn't leaving anything behind.
When we moved from Oregon to Nevada it was a big deal. Because I had made 4 of the sweetest friendships of my life and I had to say good-bye, or rather, see you later.
We took these photos back in September, a month after my moving announcement. Over the next 6 months we lived it up, made time to be together, and enjoyed every single "one last time" as if it really was our last.
I love our group. We are each so different, and yet we gel so well.
I love that we have endured all this time together drama-free . . . . setting an example for our daughters of how women can be together and support each other in healthy relationships.
We laugh. We have our inside jokes. We poke fun at one another. Yes, I am slightly terrified of driving in the snow. And no, I don't need to stop at the golf course for an emergency potty break!
These ladies were there for me during the move and beyond. I felt so supported as little kindnesses and surprises kept popping up.
- Thoughtful gifts in my guest bedroom . . . .
- A touching canvas with the lyrics to "For Good" - just so perfect because I had just used the song in a photo slide show of our years together . . . .
- A "welcome home" package waiting for me in the apartment the evening that I arrived . . .
- Text messages throughout the packing & travel days . . .
I'm pretty lucky.
Since the move we've kept in touch through e-mails, phone calls, and a few birthday FaceTime sessions. So fun.
But, today my heart is all a flutter and the anticipation is building because I get to reunite with these wonderful women this weekend.
{ Shannon, Sheila, Jenn, Nicole, Paige }
I can hardly stand the wait. There will be hugs, laughs, maybe some tears (happy & sad), memories made, sharing, and fun.
On our moving day another friend shared this analogy with me . . . . She was tearing out some shrubs in her front yard and noticed that no matter what you do, a few roots always get left behind. The roots go deeper the longer you live somewhere and I have definitely left behind some roots in Oregon. I am thankful for that. And I am thankful for those who grew right alongside me.
