My friend, Lauren Conrad, said it best "As people grow up they realize it's less important to have more friends and more important to have real friends." I'd say over the past year that this has certainly been my biggest life lesson. I started 2014 with, dare I say, 10-15 people that I considered my best friends. One by one, I found out people's true colors, I made choices people didn't agree with, I had friends turn their back on me, and I had friends use me. Certain friendships were harder to lose and it took me a long time to get over that. But it's just that. I got over it. I realized as I started "cleaning house" on my friendships that I had just reached a point in my life where I grew up and sadly, a lot of people around me hadn't.
That being said, I am so extremely grateful for the people I have in my life now. The past two days have been spent celebrating some of my favorite people and some huge events in our lives over yummy food, even yummier drinks, and lots of laughs.
Sunday was my sweet boyfriend's birthday. Birthdays are one of my favorite things in the entire world because I love spoiling and celebrating people. I had already given him his presents earlier (because he was with me when I found some amazing deals AND because I'm bad at keeping surprises....) so, I really wanted to do the most I could to make the day special for him. We started the day by going to lunch at this awesome restaurant just over the border in North Carolina that sells THE BEST country cookin'. He had never been and he absolutely loved it! After we ate until we couldn't eat anymore, we walked over to the general store in the next building over, got ice cream (there's always room for ice cream!), and looked at all the crazy things they sell. Before we left, we picked up a couple cigars, one for him and one for my daddy, and headed back home. We took the long, windy, country roads back instead of the interstate and he smoked his cigar. We talked and laughed and never turned on the radio once. Moments like that, I know, are the memories I'm going to cling to forever. When we got back to my house, my family greeted him with his favorite carrot cake, presents, and football on TV. As if the day couldn't get better, we headed out to an italian feast with his family that night. The day was so special and so full of love and I know that this was one of his best birthdays in years.
Yesterday, I met up with a couple of my sorority sisters who also have made the jump into alumni life. We had been planning to meet up for months and I'm so glad it finally happened. We shared stories and dreams of the future over margs and cheese dip. We toasted to my graduation last month, one of their weddings next month, and the other for starting grad school this week. After three and a half hours of chatter later, we parted ways and I spent my ride home (50 minutes in the pouring rain at rush hour... remind me to not apply to any jobs at the ocean front!) thinking how lucky I am.
I have the support of an incredible family, the love of the most incredible man, and the friends I've only ever dreamed of having. My life is so very different January 2015 from January 2014, but my life is so great right now. I am so thankful for the friends that have stuck by my side the past year and for our beautiful friendships that have only gotten stronger. I am so thankful for my wonderful boyfriend who makes me the happiest girl on the planet every single day and for both of our families who love us like their own. I couldn't imagine a better group to surround myself with than these people.
xx
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