From being called white trash to munching on a snack of a similar name… Days spent with toes in the sand and nights sipping wine, running from “ruh-coons”… Mini martini glasses filled with scrumptious desserts, and adult-beverage dino-sippy cups… My five-day vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina was certainly one of the best.
While I won’t delve into the stories of those brief mentionings — some things are just not blog fodder — I will say that moments like those seriously bring tears to my eyes as I think about what they mean in the grand scope of my life.
If told to describe myself, I wouldn’t likely use the words “good friend.” Now, don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t say “bad friend” either. Perhaps “distant” would fit the best as I’m simply one of those people who mostly keeps to herself in her free time. I don’t venture home from work each evening with plans for dinners and parties or get-togethers encompassing my nightly events. More often than not, you can find me on the couch, cuddled up with my pup, watching whatever TV-show meanders across my screen.
I’m also somewhat horrible when it comes to keeping in touch. I am a typical 20-something who loathes talking on the phone, and despite my preference to utilize Facebook or texting, staying in tune with the lives of friends hundreds of miles away isn’t so simple without true voice communication. So my friendships tend to dangle, constantly hanging by a thread that in some cases has broken.
But when five days at the beach emerge and become completely filled with stories and tales, gossip and giggling, it’s an amazingly heartwhelming feeling to know that some friendships have a strong, tight rope keeping them intact no matter how many days of silence linger in the physical distance*.
I may not be the best friend in the world to these two ladies, and I may practically disappear for months on end, but this OBX trip was all the proof I needed to know that matters very little and our bond stemming from high school remains just as strong as ever**. If you asked me in 2003, as graduated neared, if these girls would still be present in my life seven years later, I would’ve replied with “highly doubtful,” as I never expected to stay in contact with many people from those four years. But, today, I’m more than grateful to know that my assumption would have been wrong.
So whether it’s *NSync karaoke or traveling to TimBuck II, coaxing each other to commit petty larceny or talking about boys over ice cream, I hope they realize, without a doubt, how much their friendship means to me. I may not be the girl who dials their digits every week for a recap, and I may not be texting them the mundane details of my own life, but I’m here whenever they need anything whatsoever. And if not, I’ll certainly be there to share the adventures next year when we meet again along the Atlantic coast.
* I’m struggling to hold back the tears…
** I only cried a little.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s one thing I’ve learned w/ my dear college buddies. We may not speak for months or even a year at a time. But when we get back together, it’s as if no time has pass.
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That’s exactly how it is. Obviously there’s blanks to be filled in about our lives, but otherwise, just the same as ever.
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<3
When we get together, we definitely pick up like we just talked the day before.
P.S. you forgot about the toothbrush incident
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This brought tears to my eyes! It really was a great trip ((except the tooth brush incident…sorry Renee)). Can’t wait for next year!
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