Tuesday, March 22, 2011

young hearts be free tonight

Life is so so good. I am back in Hernando after a couple of weeks traveling around the South. It was great to see friends and family. After the two weeks I've had, the only place to start is at the beginning.

I spent Mardi Gras in New Orleans with my friend and roommate for life, Taylor. I am still not sure how to describe the amount of fun we had. Taylor, Chelsea, and I will certainly look back on Carnival 2011 and laugh 'til it hurts at the memories we made.

I left New Orleans on Ash Wednesday and spent a couple of days with my grandmother in Raleigh, MS before making my way to Hattiesburg on Friday. My weekend in Hattiesburg consisted of: dinner with Bethany and Emily, nachos and ice cream with Dylan, the Keg and Barrel with my big brother, and wonderful conversations with all of them. I was reminded all weekend (as I so often am) how lucky I am to have the friends and family that I do.

I returned from Little Rock this afternoon after a wonderful weekend with my dear friend, Wren. We ate too much delicious food, made necklaces at a bead store, went to an estate sale, shot pool at a dive bar, climbed a mountain, and laughed. Duh, we laughed.

As I was leaving Wren's apartment this morning, I had a tear in my eye before I shut the door. I was overcome with the same feelings I had when I left Audrey in New York and when Mallory left me in Starkville. It is hard to not be with close friends as often as I have been in the past. Adjusting to life after college and life without my friends has been difficult at times. The difficulty of this transition has been renewed in me as I prepare to move even further away. I cannot imagine what life is going to be like without seeing my friends for such a long time. However, I know the day is coming when this will be my reality and I know that I chose it. I made the decision to join the Peace Corps with a guarantee that tough days are ahead. Still, I will miss my friends. The comforting part is that they will miss me. There is no way I could follow through with my decision if I did not fully believe that I have people in my life that will be counting down from twenty-seven until the months have passed and I am closer to them again. Being away from people I love will no doubt be the hardest part of my decision to deal with, but knowing that they love me back will get me through my tough days, frustrations, and homesickness. I say it a lot, but I am blessed beyond anything I deserve. I have people in my life that love me. Truly.

Since my last post, the Peace Corps had a birthday and so did I. What an awesome time in my life and in the life of this organization to be a part of its legacy. The fact that I have been invited to join the Peace Corps is a dream come true. I am honored and proud. I am ready to begin the journey and job of a lifetime. I am ready, but I know that in a few months I will dream of being with my roommate in New Orleans and my friends in Hattiesburg. I will laugh as I think of Wren and I shooting pool and climbing a mountain, and I will smile knowing that my brother and I have many more sunny Saturday afternoons at the Keg.

I am going to Houston, TX next week to visit my other grandmother. I fly back to MS on April 1st and cannot wait to spend the weekend in Jackson with Kathryn.

I leave in forty-two days. Life and friends are good. J'adore ma vie.