then and now: real life grown up friendships.

A few months into living in Texas, I wrote this post about real life grown up friendships. 

If you haven't read it, just do.
If you have, maybe you want to read it again to remind yourself of my desperation.

To sum the post up, I wrote about how I didn't know the rules of grown up friendships, if/when hugs, sharing clothes, and slumber parties were appropriate, and other concerns about how finding grown up bffs is a lot harder than at age 6 when you would bond over the fact that you had matching pigtails. 

I specifically remember the series of events that made me post about this dilemma. I had met a group of 3 girls at the gym and they were best friends.

This could have turned out "Mean Girls" style but it didn't. so read on.

They were all around my age, had similar interests, and I just knew they were golden. I legitimately remember calling my mom and telling her that I had some potential friendships on the horizon.

Shoutout to my creepiness.

Anyway. That friendship post from over 2 and a half years ago came about as I thought about how I wanted to be friends with these 3 girls. I wasn't quite sure how to go about forming this grown up friendship. I didn't want to intrude on their little group, but at the same time  actually who am I kidding? I totally wanted to. Especially when Gabby came dressed up as Oscar Meyer Bologna to our Halloween workout. That really sealed the deal right there, so thanks Blu. [I also want to take this time to publicly declare that the spelling of bologna freaks me out. As if bologna wasn't creepy enough by itself already.]

Then one day, all my wildest dreams came true when they asked me to hang out. I don't even remember what we did, but I can tell you that I met parts of my heart that day. They're my Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in real life. Actually we're kind of opposite. Life lead us all to each other in this little town, instead of life leading us in opposite directions. We also don't share any pants.

Rebecca our little Philadelphia beach lover is about living in and appreciating that moment in life and I just adore her for better teaching that to me. She's our adventurous soul with killer arms. Jill has the biggest and sweetest heart in the world and loves everyone. She's our little independent French gypsy who is from Maine and doesn't have family here, but stays because she's grown to love and embrace it. Gabby is constantly making us laugh (obvi. Have you seen someone deadlifting in a bologna costume?) and is our tour guide of Texas to show us all the greatest things about this place. Not to mention her amazing parents have adopted us since we are all orphans to Texas with families far away.

It's no coincidence that I've met these beautiful souls. Rebecca and I were talking the other day about how she had prayed that she would find people like us while she was here, and I had done the exact same thing time and time again. It's crazy to think that we are all from different parts of the country, but life lead us here.

Gabby posted this picture a couple of months back. This is us in 2012, 2013, and then 2014. I didn't even realize the top picture existed, or that we stood next to each other for the picture. It's funny to think about what our friendship has become since then. 

There's just something to be said about friendships, and finding the right people wherever you go; about  allowing yourself to open up and find people who love like you do, who share similar values despite growing up in different states, cultures and religions. There's something to be said about bologna costumes, rollerblading, horseback riding and trying new places and things with the very best of people. I've said it before, but there really is such a thing as soulmate friends. ♥

xoxo.

Natasha