California Girl.

Once in a while, you get a text you wish you hadn’t read. Or perhaps maybe hoped you could blame Autocorrect for replacing some words you didn’t like such as in the sentence, “I’m moving to California.”

Three years had gone by so fast and I still remember the first time I met my best friend, Lily in Modern Dance I class. I was a nervous 19-year-old then and did not have a clue about college and most of life, really. She introduced me to our other best friend and we IMMEDIATELY became a trio. I badly needed a “social makeover” like Tai  from the movie “Clueless” and they were my Cher and Dionne, minus the drama.

The thing about Lily is, she is brave and wise and she became the older sister I never had. We became adults together and part of that was making tough decisions. This time, it wasn’t about which ice cream flavor to get or what shirt looks good with those jeans. No, they were earth-shaking, life-changing decisions that shaped who we are today. In growing as an individual, or even as a student, it is important that we find people who won’t stunt our growth but will encourage us to keep going, to help us find a comfort place in the ebb and the flow of life, and to be ourselves. I wouldn’t have met half of myself if it weren’t for my best friends.

Lily, if you were born to be a California Girl, don’t forget what your best friends and the East Coast taught you. And always remember to stay where you’re the most happy. Remember the good old days. Remember Philadelphia. Remember not knowing where to eat after class. Remember dancing in the rain for the first time. Remember working together at WRLC. Remember break up songs and Taylor Swift and trying to give each other advice. Remember me saying I’ll always be your best friend no matter which part of the world we are in. This day definitely came sooner than I expected. There were gonna be weddings and more birthdays and kids. Something changed your mind and now you won’ t even  be here to go to school with me or go on road trips with but I will always ALWAYS remember the times we did. Thank you for who you are and for playing a sassy lead role in my life. And if California ever treats you bad and it is raining more than it’s sunny, just give me a call and I will pick you up (or stay in Cali with you.)