Changes.

Well, I have a lot to update about. There's a lot of big changes happening in my life right now, but I'm only going to talk about one of them right now, because the others deserve my complete attention and happiness, and this one has been on my mind the most for the last few days.



















There's no other way to really get into this... One of my best friends is moving far away. Some unexpected circumstances arose in my good friend Suzi's life, and she's moving from NC to NY and then Boston. I found this out on Sunday, and she is moving this Friday.

At first, I was just completely shocked. It didn't really seem real - this girl who I met two weeks into my freshman year of college, who took me under her wing, who taught me everything I know about rugby, who left her position as scrumhalf of the team to me, who left me as captain, who taught me all of the best tricks I know on the field. The same girl who has carried me up the stairs when I got too drunk, went out with me for my 21st birthday, dressed me after I did my zulu, the girl who introduced me to banana fudge milkshakes from Cookout, got into ridiculous shenanigans with, got written up by the campus police with me, went on vacation with me to Baltimore and Chestertown and went crabbing with my family, the girl who asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding, who co-captained the Relay for Life with me, the first person I called when Liam died - who dropped everything and drove to campus to pack my bags with Kim so that I could fly home... the girl who I called during the funeral reception and sobbed to out behind my church. The same girl who I've had arguments with and made up and realized our friendship means more to us than disagreeing about something. The same girl who listened every single time I have ever needed to talk, who would drive to wherever I was if I was home alone and needed someone to be there with me, who I have laughed hysterically with a thousand times... the girl who washed out my hair in the bathroom sink at the bar when a teammate threw up on my head, the girl who gave me the confidence to extract myself from unhealthy situations, the girl who went on so many road trips with Kim and I ... cookie avalanches, OH SHIT STAIRS, Bloody Mary's and hottubs...the girl who sent my mom cruise catalogues when she was sick so that she'd have something to look at that was happy, this girl who was thrown into my life just becase my roommate freshman year saw a sign for women's rugby in the bathroom...

She's leaving.















I always thought I'd be the one leaving her behind, once I graduated. And I have been slowly preparing myself for that day to come. This has blown me away. It's starting to feel real.









































































Tonight Suzi dropped off her cap and gown from when she graduated in Spring '06. I remember the day she graduated so incredibly clearly, I remember taking that photo in the fountain (the same fountain that we both soaped and then got written up by the police my freshman year!) It seems truly fitting that I am going to wear the same cap and gown that she wore all those years ago. Sometimes life is so cyclic.

The past 5 years would not have been the same at all without her.