Life in person

I'm back home again. It seems like things have been non-stop for a bit now, and I'm finally just now able to take the time to sit down and take it all in. I really had a lovely week. I put on over 1000 miles, tasted the ocean, and got in an accident with someone who doesn't speak English, but it was all still pretty great anyhow. Plus, I traveled to 3 new states and 1 new province. And we all know how much I love saying THAT!

During my trip, I had the opportunity to hang out with two old friends. Friends I'd never met in real life. And yet, because we have been in an online Mom's group since C-man was 6 months old, I seem to know them as well, if not better, than anyone else in my life. It's crazy to me how easy the conversation was over dinner one night in Concord. (Which I learned is pronounced Con-curd by the locals) And then when we drove into Maine to crash another mom friend's 13 year old's birthday party the following day, it didn't even seem that odd because I already 'knew' all the cast and characters present - from Grammy to the local priest. The views of her mountains were already familiar and the jokes incredibly funny. I showed up with a giant bottle of gin because we one day named them Fun and Tonics, and it wasn't even a question whether we'd crack that bottle open immediately.

I find it incredible that time and space and years haven't been barriers. We've been with one another through career changes and a marriage and some babies. We've found religion and changed beliefs and talked one another through it all. We've watched each other's children grow ,and talked each other down from the crazy ledge more than once. There's been anxiety and nervousness and love and joy. All done from afar, but it never really felt that way.

So how special it was to be able to experience all that love and history face to face. There were tears. There was laughter. And there was love. It really was so, so lovely.