This friend and I were not always friends. We grew up in the same town and once were even in a combination class together (4th and 5th graders in the same class all year). I didn't like her then. She was friends with a girl named McKinley (sp?) and they fought daily. Their fighting drove me batty. Years past and I would see this friend in the halls, but we didn't become friends in junior high or high school. I didn't dislike her in by then, but I just wasn't friends with her. We grew up in a small town so you pretty much knew everyone in the high school and mostly associated with almost everyone. I don't think our school was as clicky as some, and I was one of those people that liked pretty much everyone. Needless to say, we never became friends in high school.
After high school I moved to New Jersey to be a nanny. I believe a year or two later, this friend showed up in a town about 20 minutes away from me as a nanny too. Someone had given me her number so I called her to see if she wanted to meet up for coffee or something. She thought I had lived 2 hours away, because on a map, it really looks that far if you grew up in Montana like we did. However, New Jersey is about a two hour drive from the top to the bottom of it, so she was mistaken. She had gotten my number but figured it wouldn't be worth it to call because I was too far... well good thing I called!
At first this friend did not like my friends, she may even thought I was different. I know I looked different... I had grown up a lot and really got into fashion and makeup... something that I didn't do in high school. After a while some of my friends and this friend started to hang out and eventually we started to become quite good friends. We started doing things like going to Poor Billy's and to Poughkeepsie to see live bands. One of my favorite memories is when my friend Brooke and I went to see this friend in New York (she moved with her family because they built a home there.). We went to see a live band and on our way home we stopped at Walmart for toothbrushes because we had too much to drink to drive home. Brooke and I were amazed by the 78 cent toothbrushes... we just couldn't contain ourselves! I am pretty sure I also checked my blood pressure there as well. (This was all around 3 AM!) The best is when we got back to the house and this friend told us we had to be quiet... Brooke and I were giggling so bad because this friend wanted to be in the middle so that she was ensured enough blanket... it was an air mattress probably made for two! We kept saying... "One, two, three pass out!" and then we would laugh and laugh.. but silently so the mattress would just jiggle. Oh that was too funny!
One day in 2004 my friend decided it was time to go back to Montana. It was sad and we were sad to see her leave. She did come back to visit a few times and even stayed a summer with Nena and I at our Millburn Apartment.
When this friend lived far away we talked almost every day. Sometimes we would go a few days, but overall we talked to each other a lot. I hadn't seen her since August of 2006! She moved to Minnesota after I bought my house to stay with me for about a year. Then she moved out for a change, but just a month ago, moved back in! I think somehow no matter where we end up, we will always be connected.
I am glad that I called this friend back in the good ol' Jersey days... who would have thought that a girl from my hometown, who I wasn't friends with, became one of my closest friends!
Here's to you Sarah!
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