Beautiful Visit to Baltimore

I spent this last weekend celebrating my dear friend, Amanda, in Baltimore for her 30th birthday. Her awesome husband, Jay, decided he wanted to surprise her by bringing in her four closest friends for a surprise celebration and it was wonderful. Two of us came in from New York, one from Denver, and one from San Diego. Amanda was totally and completely surprised by all of our arrivals and I couldn't have asked for a better reaction. :) I met Amanda back in Atlanta in 2003 and I was maid of honor in her wedding in 2007. She is one of my favorite people in the world and I never get enough time with her:

We had the most gorgeous weather and us girls took major advantage of sitting in the sun, sipping champagne, and laughing so hard at just about everything. We ate lots of terrible-for-you food, drank plenty of Natty Boh, and did the obligatory oyster shots:

It was a very "Baltimorian" weekend. :) I got some alone time with Amanda while we waited on my bus Sunday evening and we just talked about how amazing it is to evolve in relationships over time. When we met each other, we were just insane with going out all the time and being crazy. We had the most fun you could ever imagine but we also went through incredible hardship, too. I actually saw her through a breakup with Jay for nearly a year which was a very painful time for her. Over the years, we have changed drastically with each year that's gone by yet our friendship has just continued to grow. We are sort of "doing life" together as we change, grow, and mature into the amazing women we continue to be today. Turning 30 is a milestone and being there together for it was just such a gift. Sometimes I think about my wedding day and I smile from the inside out because the girls who will stand by me are each a link in the chain of my lifeline. Our relationships are all seasoned with incredibly special qualities and it's a joy to me. Amanda is someone who has been an inspiration to me with her ambition, drive, and determination. She is so strong, motivated, and very focused which I have looked up to her for since I met her. My favorite thing about our relationship is that it is just so rooted in truth and I wouldn't be who I am today without Amanda in my life.

I feel sad for the people out there who are such "live in the moment" kind of people because they miss out on the beauty that comes from cultivating a relationship over time. They miss the joy that stems from years of experiences, laughter, tears...LIFE...all to be in this minute to minute kind of happiness. All I know is I cannot wait to be 85, sipping champagne in the sun with Amanda, reflecting on how we have shared life together. What a blessing and gift. Now I'm next in line to turn 30, ooo...