The Bigger the Hoops

Whoever coined the term “Hotlanta” must have left right after August because as I was sitting in my living room writing this I was surrounded by a pile of all the blankets I own and the thermometer read 21 degrees.

Not. Hot. It would probably help if the heater in my apartment wasn’t quite so old and could properly vent air. Or if the pilot light didn’t randomly go out when I have 3 people staying with me. Despite my heating incapabilities we managed to stay warm.

… I should probably start from the beginning …

Back in November before I knew it would get cold here I convinced my friends to come to Atlanta for my birthday. In past years its been as cold as -7 so hotlanta would be a welcome change. Naturally they said yes, I borrowed an air mattress and the rest is history.

The weekend was filled with countless festivities – good food, good cheer, and unforgettable moments. We laughed those deep belly laughs that make you feel like you just finished 100 sit-ups without doing an ounce of work. We out-stayed our welcome at brunch one carafe at a time. We danced till we dropped (or our partners dropped us), and we sat in a coffee shop playing Life for hours, despite holes in the butts of our leggings and lingering hangovers.

My apartment was full, but my heart was bursting at the seams. Somehow all of the people in my life made me feel significant and so very loved. I had friends celebrate with me in Atlanta, my mom in Nepal face timed me, my house church called from their ski trip, my FaceBook wall blew up with kind words, and my inbox was full of best wishes and friendly messages.

One of the fears I faced as I left Colorado was of lost connections. I feared that I would lose my close friends and that my relationships would suffer. I worried that they would go on without me and that I would go on without them. In some ways we have – we don’t see each other on a daily basis, hell we don’t even text on a daily basis. Yet, in other ways we have not – they are still the first people I call with news, good or bad. They encourage me on my darkest days and I them. When we three-way call I can’t help but grin – I hope they can hear my happiness through the air waves. It has taken a different kind of effort to sustain our friendship, but, if anything, it has made it stronger, more resilient.

They say that if a friendship lasts longer than 7 years it will last a lifetime. Technically I’ve only known these ladies for 6 years, but I don’t think that matters. We’ve already passed the test and we’ve come out on top. Cheers – Y’all know who you are.

Some locations and pictures from the fabulous birthday weekend activities: