June 20, 2009
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My friend Erin moved to Cali. one year ago for a job in the wine biz. I joked with the “I hate you”, but she probably doesn’t know that I really did. (You know what I mean.) I “hated” her, not because I hated her, but because I was so damn jealous. At that time I was completely bored living where I was as she had been and totally needed a change myself but didn’t know how to/wasn’t ready to make one. I remember standing on the rooftop patio of my incredible apartment I had at the time that everyone had drooled over. I was listening to Erin talk about when and how she was going to be leaving town. She was moving for a job she was insanely excited about? She was getting out of a place she just felt like she needed to? Ugh, I thought. I remember feeling like I wanted to pack myself in her car and never look back to my incredibly fancy amazing apartment with rooftop patio and all the rest of the “perfect” life I had.
See, incredibly fancy amazing apartments with rooftop patios and other supposed perfect stuff don’t mean jack if you’re not happy. I’m so thankful life forced me to make some changes I was jealous of Erin for making a year ago and that I am where I am now. And I am happy that she is happy with her past year too. We’ve both separately come quite a way.
I just read
this post on her blog and started laughing. She will laugh too when she reads this as she realizes from that very spot on my rooftop patio one year ago, the two of us have had almost identical experiences. The only difference is I now look out my window and see the Atlantic Ocean and she looks out hers and see the Pacific. We have both moved far away from everything and everyone we know and love, gotten new jobs, quit jobs, had break ups, perfected being broke as a joke, at the same age, cried on phones to mothers and all of it…
AND THEN SOME. Oh, then some.
The great thing is, Erin and I barely met, hung out or even knew each other much before she came over one year ago to my place to tell me she was leaving. After keeping in touch sporadically this year and finding out how similar we are, I’m fairly certain she and I will be good pals for a very long time to come. I’m sure we’ll also continue encouraging each other to quit jobs we hate, move wherever the hell we each damn well please and not settle for anything less than the best guy or life that’s fabulous. That’s what us “brave” and “courageous” women do. Really though, we’re just two people who follow our hearts. That’s the only reason to warrant anyone ever using those words for either of us. I think Erin would be fine with me saying that we both totally screw up plenty, flail out, trip up and are lost and confused just as much as the rest of everyone else. Perhaps we are two people who can just dust ourselves off a bit quicker, and most always wearing a smile.
Erin, can you friggin’ believe it? What a ride. Keep on rockin’ girl. Hang tight. I’ll be out there to sip some vino with you sooner than later.
