just the eight of us.

I spent this past weekend with seven of my all-time favorite gals. I’ve known these girls since we traveled the country working for our sorority as leadership consultants the year after we graduated college.

We had each signed on for one full year on the road. We would fly from city to city and spend anywhere from a few days to a few weeks at each college chapter in our territory.

We literally lived out of a suitcase that year. Breaks were few and far between. We hauled gigantic suitcases full of thick three-ring binders {I know, right? We had computers but I guess this was before everything went digital – we are old}, clothes and shoes from school to school.

We never knew what to expect upon arrival. Our receptions ranged from heartfelt and warm to cold and distant. We stayed in either a luxurious chapter house or {more often than not for some of us, poor Lauri} a dirty dorm room. We ate a lot of take-out and way too many bowls of TCBY {okay, that was just me. I ate way too many bowls of TCBY}.

We learned to adapt and make the best of just about any situation. We polished our “people skills” and were able to initiate a conversation with anyone, anywhere.

We also learned what it meant to be in a room full of people and be lonely. Homesickness set in more than a few times that year.

Gratefully, we had all bonded instantly during our training sessions the summer before hitting the road. We knew we would lean on one another during the year. We knew we would laugh together and maybe even cry together. We knew that our lives would never be the same. But, we truly had no idea how much would change that year.

We started traveling in August of 2001.

Most of us had only been on the road for a few weeks when our country halted and life changed in an instant.

September 11, 2001.

I was in Walla Walla, Washington when the world stopped. When fear and confusion and grief and agony and pain whirled around us. As I watched the tiny television in the basement of the girl’s dorm, my mind reeled. My heart ached. I sobbed alongside strangers and ached to be home. I was on the complete opposite corner of the country from my family in Florida and I longed to be there where safety and love and hope had to be alive. Because in that dorm in Walla Walla, I felt nothing but emptiness and despair.

I waited a little over a week before flying out again to my next stop in Seattle. I boarded my flight trembling with panic and knew that my year traveling would not be anything like I had imagined.

I was then and remain to this day, eternally grateful to the seven women who have since become my dearest friends. We lifted one another up during that season of despair and throughout the year. We did, in fact, cry together. And, we did laugh {a lot} together. We linked arms and held on to one another. We were each other’s lifelines that year. No one else understood what we were doing or what our daily lives looked like. We drove hours to see one another if our trips to the same state coincided. We divulged our struggles and triumphs over our “voicemail” system. We provided one another a link to the world. We didn’t have facebook or twitter or blogs. We had email, phones, a group voicemail and each other.

Since that year, we have been there to celebrate the happiest and most joyful moments of our lives together. And, we have walked alongside one another during the darkest and most grief-filled days.

These seven women have challenged me, uplifted me, inspired me and made me a stronger, better person. They see my heart and know my soul’s deepest desires.

We do not live in close proximity to one another and our career paths are as varied as you could possibly imagine {how many other groups friends do you know that consist of a dentist, a pilot, a news producer, a salesperson, an event planner, an actress, a fitness instructor/volunteer extraordinaire and stay-at-home mom?}, and we don’t even all share the same religious views. And yet, it works. We always pick right up where we left off.

We came together this past weekend to celebrate the very last wedding among the group. Brianna knew her soul mate was out there and she refused to settle for anything less. And, we are all SO thrilled that she didn’t. God led her to Weston and they are perfect together {let’s be honest, they’re a little too perfect – Barbie and Ken  Brianna and Weston would make me a little nauseous if I didn’t love them so}.

Their wedding day was a gorgeous, romantic, fun and perfect day. I cannot wait to share more about their amazing day, but I haven’t even had a chance to upload the photos from my camera yet.

And, I had to give you the full background on these girls first. They are so special to me and our friendship is one I treasure. I am beyond blessed to have these girls by my side for this crazy ride called life.

Even though this post is entirely too long already, I had to share a little sneak back in time at some of our favorite moments together. I snagged all of these photos off of Vicki’s facebook page because I am just too lazy to go back into my archives and dig ’em up. Thanks, Vicki!! 🙂

Every year, we have a reunion trip … here are some of the highlights…{completely out of order}

Lauri’s wedding was the only one I missed!! I had just had the boys and they were still in the hospital at the time. So, a trip to Lake Tahoe was out. I am so sad to have missed this day! Aren’t they an awesome group??

We are such dorks. Really. This is in Seattle in front of the space needle. What are we doing? No idea.

Aww…my girls and I on my big day 🙂

In Ohio for Vicki’s wedding!

We’re such KIDS! In San Francisco a long, long time ago…

Hilarious. This is during our summer training before traveling. We are so young!

Napa! So fun…

This picture will forever make me laugh. out. loud. We got a teensy bit of sun that day at the beach in Florida.

Look at these kiddos!! Training before traveling. {Why are we sitting in a tree?!? Your guess is as good as mine.}

I love us. Really. We think we’re HILARIOUS. And, honestly, we are.

This is in Kentucky for Molly’s wedding!

In Virginia for Beth’s wedding 🙂

A little shopping on Miracle Mile.

What? It’s not completely normal to take a picture in an elevator? I don’t believe it for a second.

I couldn’t find photos from a few of our other trips. We also went to New Orleans {Allie’s wedding!}, Nashville, Kansas City, and Vegas over the years.

Sorry for the long post! But, I had to share!! I’m so grateful to have friendships like these.

Please know that my heart and thoughts are with all of those who mourn the loss of loved ones on this day. And, my heartfelt gratitude goes out to all of our men and women serving in our military to keep our country safe!!! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.