Grateful for Friends

The last few weekends I've had fun times with friends. Sometimes finding and making and keeping friends can be hard when you're grown and don't live near high school or college friends, so I am especially grateful for the friends and community I've been able to make and find in the last couple of years.

One friend's parents recently bought a vacation home in Wintergreen, so five of us girls went there on a Friday night. We hung out that evening snacking and playing Ticket to Ride. The next day we made breakfast, went for a short hike, got in the hot tub, and then drove back to Charlottesville and enjoyed a late lunch outdoors. It was nice both to hang out with girls for a sleepover and to get outside.

Last weekend I made the four-hour trek to Raleigh on Friday after work for a Halloween party with friends I made during grad school. I hadn't been back to Raleigh in several years, and going to the party was sort of like a blast from the past with the same crew. The next night we went to a restaurant for Octoberfest and I got to hang out with my friend Elizabeth from school. It was really nice to catch up with her.

I was a gumball machine! The guy on the left is from Jaws. The guy on the right appears to be a creepy gas station attendant.

With my friend Ryan, aka the Kool-Aid Man.

Last weekend my friends S and B got married! Friday night I hung out with them a little after their rehearsal dinner, Saturday was the wedding, and Sunday morning was a lovely brunch. It was a great weekend of hanging out with, and celebrating, friends.