4,500+ Miles

Yesterday was a fun, but hard day. I went to Steak & Shake with two of my best friends, Erin and Ashley. I ordered the Mocha Milkshake -which was delish- but it was sooo thick, too thick for a little gal who just got jaw surgery. It took me a good five minutes before it was melted enough for me to drink.. I don't have good suction right now, and I even used two straws! 


Afterwards, we came back to my house and played Disney Adventures on the xbox 360 Kinect.. yes, I'll allow you to make fun of us, three 22 year olds playing a Disney game.. and yes, it's my Disney game. In fact, Erin got it for me for Christmas. Anyways, we played that for a bit and then... then came the hard part of the day. Because up until that point it was a blassttt. 


Then.. it came time to say goodbye. Goodbye to my best friend Ashley. And not just a I'll call you tomorrow and we'll hang out later this week goodbye, this was a maybe I'll get to see you at Christmas time goodbye. Ya see, Ashley is moving to HAWAII... and let me remind you, I live in Ohio. I googled it, and it's 4,500+ miles away (to her city at least). And it costs roughly $750-850 to fly there.. which for a poor college student that chunk of change is hard to come by. So there won't be a visitation anytime soon. 


I met Ashley freshman year of High School, and we've been friends ever since. Sure, I did think she was weird at first, and we joke about that all the time, but then we played softball together and became good friends fairly quickly. That's 8 years. Eight. For eight years my best friend was only a phone call, or 10 minute drive away from me.. now she's a 12 hour flight and $800 away.. and there's an ocean in the way, too. 

Now, I've been trying to be strong about this.. for Ashley's sake. Because I know she'll have it way harder. A new place to live, where she only knows her fiance. No job, no friends (yet), no family, nothing. All I can do is hope and pray for the best for her. I hope she finds a good job, I hope she meets some new friends, and I hope she never forgets or falls out of touch with myself, or Erin. 

Ashley and I in 2008...

...and in 2011

 
I came across a few quotes that I'd like to share with y'all...

Goodbyes are not forever. Goodbyes are not the end. They simply mean I'll miss you, until we meet again! ~Author Unknown

 My friends remind me by their very steadfastness, that truth, beauty, and goodness exist in the world, and that no matter what, there are and always will be people loving people through thick and thin.

<3 life is good