The Art of Friendship...

I know people who have dozens upon dozens of friends, and not just "facebook friends;" but people that they actually talk to and hang out with on a regular basis.

I am not one of those people. I have a small handful of close friends that chat and spend time with. I find it amazing that some people can maintain friendships with so many people...

Two things come to mind when I think about friendship. One: when I started therapy 2 years ago, one of my goals was to have close female friends. I always had an easy time making guy friends, but I really felt like I needed a little more estrogen support. I am so happy to say now that I have several close gal pals! I can't imagine my every day life without their friendship, and I can't describe the difference it has made having my girlfriends in my life. (This is not to say my guy friends aren't awesome. They are. It's just that girls are a different sort of awesomeness that cannot be understood, only experienced.)

Two: friendship should never require promises...I think about friends that I have had in the past who said that they would always be there for me; friends who promised we would "always be friends." Typically, this type of friendship goes one of two ways: 1)life carries you two in separate directions, but you know that if you ever need someone to talk to you can call your old friend even though you haven't talked in eons...or 2) life carries you two in separate directions and the friendship disappears and you become merely acquaintances.

I have both types of friendships in my life. It's amazing to think that I have a friend that I made in kindergarten (was that when we met Stacy??)--and we still keep up with each other's lives. But it is also very sad that I have people that I barely ever hear from that used to be my best friends.

It happens. Life does pull us each in different directions, and that's ok. Sometimes friends are just put into our lives in a particular moment because we need them in that moment--or they have something to teach us that we need from that moment on...

Friendship is an art form. Being able to be a friend and have friends can become such a juggling act.

Fortunately, I married my very bestest friend. So I get to spend most of my time maintaining that friendship--and it's fun! But I still am very thankful for the other friends in my life, whether we chat weekly or yearly--I know each one has a very special contribution to the fullness of my life.

The Sand Dunes...

Sigh...

There are mornings I really wish that Ryan and I could spend all our time adventuring. Just get away from the everyday mundane and see extraordinary things every day...

But then I remember that there are extraordinary things every day, if we just open our eyes and look for them.

I wake up every morning to my wonderful husband, who kisses me goodbye before he leaves. Already today I have watched my two kids chase each other around, looked over Kairi as she fell asleep in a laundry basket, had a conversation with Sora about the size of our apartment, and seen a million shades of green just outside our windows. Also, our apartment is nearly 100% clean and clutter-free--if that's not extraordinary, then I don't know what is.

Just watching the clouds gather over the mountains, how the grass sways in the breeze, the sun shining down over everything...it's all beautiful and extraordinary.

Someday there will be a time when we get to put all of our energy into wonderful adventures...but until then, I will learn to love the everyday extraordinary.

The Next Adventure...

We have a very tiny apartment. If you took a postage stamp, folded it into quarters--that's about the size of it. Ok, maybe just into thirds...

When we were hunting for our first apartment together, we began to realize how crazy our daily lives are. I regularly drive to Denver and the DTC for school and work at Flatirons. Ryan drives into Longmont daily for work, and then drives all over Colorado from there. So our hunt for the perfect place had to be a location fairly friendly for all that driving.

Throw into the mix that we have 2 cats. So pet-friendly was a must.

After much searching and much-ado, we found an apartment. It was small in square footage and did not have a washer/dryer in the apartment (like I had really really hoped), but it was in the right location at the right price.

We lucked out in that our apartment was one of the more updated ones in our complex AND it has an amazing view. We overlook a grazing field for horses and prairie dogs as well as a little creek. I look out our windows and see beautiful green everywhere!! It's probably the best apartment view I have ever had. EVER.

We have been fairly happy thus far, loving the seclusion of our little apartment. But for the past month or so--things have not felt so secluded or happy...

We got several new neighbors...and unfortunately, at least one of them smokes--in their bathroom. And since the vents between the bathrooms are actually connected, that means that our apartment slowly fills up with smoke...which is disgusting, and for Ryan and I--dangerous. We are both asthmatics, and neither of us do well in smoke.

After several emails/phone calls/notes, we have had no resolution to the smoking problem. Our bathroom smells strongly of smoke all day long, and if I don't keep the door closed, it starts to leak out into our entire apartment.

I have talked to some of our other neighbors, and they have complained about the smoke as well. The only thing that was done about the smoke was management posted a note on all of our doors reminding us that smoking was not permitted in the building or within 20 feet of the entrances. The little reminder did not remedy the situation.

So, after much conversation...Ryan and I have decided that if possible, we are going to move our of our apartment before our lease is up. We are hoping that Colorado's Clean Indoor Air Act will provide us the opportunity to leave without penalty.

Our next adventure is on the horizon! I guess we will see where we end up...