Reunited, and It Feels SO Good!

August 10, 2015

Seattle Airport

The last 48 hours have been the best of the summer. I was reunited with my Buttercup, my beautiful Mamie. She and I have been through loads, and I absolutely adore her. When she tugged on my shirt from behind in an elevator filled with strangers, I unabashedly jumped on top of her and pulled her into an embrace. The volume of my squeal did not cross my mind, and I didn’t care at all what people thought of my less-than-demure display of affection for one of my best friends in the entire world. We ate breakfast together and the morning bled into afternoon. Mamie’s boyfriend Chris joined us and listened to my tales from Gloucester with (perhaps feigned) interest. Over the course of the day he received my official stamp of approval. And as if spending the day with Mamie wasn’t enough, we got to see two of our close friends marry each other.

I adore this woman!

Stephanie and Jonny each hold a very special place in my heart. Stephanie and I lived together for two years, and Jonny was one of my first and closest friends at NAU. And they fell in love and got married, and I’m so blessed to have witnessed it. The ceremony was beautiful and intimate, which meant Jonny and Stephanie actually got to spend time with all of their guests (what a concept!). Of course, Mamie was not the only NAU alum in attendance. We had a mini Lutheran Campus Ministry reunion, and it was wonderful to catch up in person.

The LCM crew!

And as if seeing my old friends wasn’t enough, all of this took place in beautiful Washington state. The landscape is breathtaking, and I cannot accurately describe the peace that settled over my soul when I was reunited with mountains and pine forests of grandeur. True, they’re not my Arizona mountains, but they are distinctly western all the same. Even seeing store names I recognized (Safeway, Wells Fargo) calmed me.

What a beautiful setting for a wedding!

The view from my hike in Point Defiance Park

It’s not as if I’m having a horrible time in Gloucester—not by a long shot. But moving to a new place without anyone I know, with no semblance of home or routine has been more difficult than I care to admit. I miss my people. And this weekend I got to see some of them. They really are my people. They know my story and I know theirs. More importantly, I love them, they love me, and we all know it. I’m not nervous around them, I don’t have to put on airs around them. Quite simply, I get to be myself. I laughed and smiled and loved more than I have since graduation. I needed this rejuvenation, and I am so grateful for it.

As a super-fantastic-bonus, I got to spend a few hours with my cousin Helen and her family. She cooked a delicious meal and it was so wonderful to spend time with family. Feeling truly blessed after this weekend’s adventures!

 Tacoma Narrows Bridge! I heard SO much about this bridge while I lived with Stephanie. I was very excited to cross it. (Don't document bridges while driving, folks.)

 Here lizard, lizard!!

 I think it's really cool that God took the time to make this beautiful place. If I didn't know about the Cascadia Subduction Zone, I would move here. But geological disasters freak me out.