Whirlwind

The past few months have been a whirlwind of wonderful family trips, adventures with friends, major milestones and small triumphs. This is the first chance I’ve had in months to sit in my favorite writing spot; the room empty, quiet, clean; my mind relaxed enough to enjoy the sun streaming through the Camilla bushes and ferns outside our windows; no laundry pile full of chlorine soaked swimsuits or campfire-scented muddied pants; nothing to pack for, prepare for or anxiously anticipate within the next 7 days.

Friends old and new, weddings, romance and familial bonds have brought us to Austin, TX; the Mayan Riviera; Hilton Head, SC; Flathead Lake, MT; Farmington, CT; Yosemite National Park; Laguna Beach, CA. We’ll see Cape Cod, MA; Wichita, KS; Scottsdale, AZ before September is through. We have a hard time saying no to each other. We have an even harder time saying no to the family and friends we hold so dear to our hearts. Being able to say “yes, we’ll come” is perhaps the greatest, most treasured luxury we have in our life as a couple.

It’s all been so wonderful, but so fast. Sometimes you have to write things down for them to feel real.

I went to Yosemite National Park and climbed the Mist Trail for the 3rd time with B. It’s a difficult hike, a 3 hour StairMaster up the side of two waterfalls on slippery rocks, but it’s rewarding and breathtaking every step of the way. I know now that the first time I did it, I was still a girl. I felt out of my element, embarrassed by how I faced the challenge in front of the man I loved, scared and shaking and fearing the way down every step of the way up. The second time I did it I managed to bring my eyes up from my toes on the rocks long enough to appreciate what I was doing, where I was, who I was with. I was still hesitant at moments, but not a fearful young girl anymore. The third time I did the hike, I felt strong and happy and peaceful as I went up the sides of those waterfalls. Feeling that way in that place made me realize how far I’ve come, how much I’ve grown up, how much B and I have grown together. He proposed at the top of the second waterfall with one of our most cherished places in the world at our feet. The third time I hiked the Mist Trail, I came down engaged to the man that has helped me find that strength and happiness and peace in my heart.

My best friend in the entire world, the one I moved to San Francisco with, moved home to Boston. We’ve lived either down the hall, in the same room or a few bus stops away since we were 18. Her kind heart and complete lack of judgment may never be matched in another female friend. She’s gone for good and I’m staying forever and I barely got to give her a proper goodbye.

B turned 40 just a few weeks ago. His youthful enthusiasm and passion for adventure, music, food and everything good in life make him ageless. He wants to be happy and he wants everyone around him to be happy. In the time that I’ve known him, he has learned how to make those things happen, even as the people and world around him change rapidly. He has untied his own hands and that makes him a wise old man ;)

By the end of July, two of my dearest childhood friends will have married within 6 weeks of each other. A third has moved to Australia to be with her Prince Charming. Coming together again over the past few months at a bachelorette and wedding we laughed like we we’re 15 again. We felt as close as we did, perhaps closer, than when we were 15 and together every day. But we’re women now and we’re all starting our own lives in different places around the world.

My dearest friend in San Francisco, a woman with whom I have a very special friendship, left 3 weeks ago for a trip around the world for a year. I am so happy for her, but I miss her. She has inspired me to be tougher. She challenges me to open my mind and think of why I should do things rather than why I shouldn’t.

I’ve been with my team at work for over 5 ½ years now. I worked my ass off from day one. I swallowed my pride for the first two years. I longed for respect and recognition for the next two. I didn’t really understand how to get it until the beginning of the 5th year. I was recently promoted to Vice President and I might wallpaper my bathroom with my new business cards.

It’s all been so wonderful, but so fast. Sometimes you have to write things down for them to feel real.