I walked him to the door and opened it, letting in the cool and wet night air. He turned and looked down at me with a wide smile.
"Thanks for helping me arrange my furniture," I said.
"Thanks for helping me with my essay," he replied. A pause.
"We make a good team," he added.
I nodded with a grin. "See you tomorrow..."
He turned to start down the winding pebble-filled pathway that leads away from my new front door. The tree that shadows my front step hung wet branches down, and he ducked to avoid them. The landscaping lights threw circular patterns of beams along each curve of the path, looking a little like pools of water that had each just had a stone thrown in to create a ripple effect. As he walked away he looked back and said, "God natt, Corinne."
I walked inside and shut the door. Looked around. There was still some unpacking to do, but I truly already felt like I was at home. All my familiar things were out and in prominent places... my cute white mirror, my little loveseat with the brown and cream print cover, the portrait of my mom when she was a teenager that I got for Christmas, my beloved Mac, the candle-holder made from a wine barrel plank from my uncle, my seafoam green silk pillows...
I climbed up the tall wooden ladder to my loft, slid into my big cozy bed, and read a little bit before I fell asleep to the beat of the rain on the skylight.
I'm in love with this place.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Moving Day
What I will miss about my little place...
*driving through my darling neighborhood to get home
*the tiny window-paned front door
*it's incredible weather-proofing, never got too hot or cold in there
*the little stone pathway down the side of the house to get there
*coming home at night and feeling a warm breeze and pausing for a moment on the front lawn to see our good view of hills outlined against the star-speckled night sky
*my regular running route around the neighborhood, over to the golf course, and always a pause to stretch by the bench overlooking the San Roque Valley by the lawn bowling club
*how my landlord will go out to pretend to mow the lawn but really because he saw i was coming or going and wanted to chat
*walking to Trader Joes or Taco Bell or over to the condo compound
*how compact it is and how i had a place for everything, easily accessible
*the tile work in my bathroom and kitchen
*my address... i thought it was cute
*being so close to work, no freeway driving at all
*the fact that it was my first place of my own
*of course i've made some good memories there, and i'll have to say goodbye to the scene of them... but seeing as this is the fifth move since i graduated college i suppose i'm used to it
such is the life of a girl in her mid-twenties. cheers to the new place and new memories. cheers to my dear second family who own the new amazing studio i'm moving to and will greet my arrival tonight with margaritas. and cheers to all my friends who will spend some precious hours of their weekend to help me move... pizza and beer all around.
*driving through my darling neighborhood to get home
*the tiny window-paned front door
*it's incredible weather-proofing, never got too hot or cold in there
*the little stone pathway down the side of the house to get there
*coming home at night and feeling a warm breeze and pausing for a moment on the front lawn to see our good view of hills outlined against the star-speckled night sky
*my regular running route around the neighborhood, over to the golf course, and always a pause to stretch by the bench overlooking the San Roque Valley by the lawn bowling club
*how my landlord will go out to pretend to mow the lawn but really because he saw i was coming or going and wanted to chat
*walking to Trader Joes or Taco Bell or over to the condo compound
*how compact it is and how i had a place for everything, easily accessible
*the tile work in my bathroom and kitchen
*my address... i thought it was cute
*being so close to work, no freeway driving at all
*the fact that it was my first place of my own
*of course i've made some good memories there, and i'll have to say goodbye to the scene of them... but seeing as this is the fifth move since i graduated college i suppose i'm used to it
such is the life of a girl in her mid-twenties. cheers to the new place and new memories. cheers to my dear second family who own the new amazing studio i'm moving to and will greet my arrival tonight with margaritas. and cheers to all my friends who will spend some precious hours of their weekend to help me move... pizza and beer all around.
Monday, January 12, 2009
outnumbered in 2009
I started the day by sitting on a bench by the sand at the Goleta Point Beach this morning. It hit me as soon as I got near the sand and saw the movement of the waves rolling in and out that I hadn't been at the beach much lately. Usually that sight is so familiar to me, like that friend that lives in town that you are in touch with the most and usually know what is going on with them day-to-day. The beach and I haven't been as close lately due to the colder weather, darker days, holidays, and all the busy-ness I've had... But we are going to spend some more quality time together as the days get lighter, and since I'm moving just a few minutes closer to one of my favorite beaches to visit at sunset.
I will also be getting to know some beaches somewhere else, far far away, come next month...
I'm going to spend a few weeks of our winter in New Zealand for their summer.
This is a dream come true, and I can hardly believe it's actually happening.
The photo on the header of this blog is of one of the first beaches in that country on my list to see... and explore, and read by, and run along, and take pictures on. Maybe when I return I will replace the photo above with one of my own from the same spot.
I've been wanting to go for over 4 1/2 years now, and the fact that I planned for and saved over this past year and now to make it happen is one of my biggest accomplishments thus far. I like to dream, but it can be hard for me to take action sometimes.
So here's to a 2009 full of adventure. A year with backpacking and hostelling. A year with a cruise to Mexico with dear friends. A year where I get to do more work that I love than I have been in recent years. A year with taking more chances but secure in the fact that I know myself well enough to handle whatever may come.
And like I decided on New Year's Day and wrote out on a pretty little card to see every day, here's to a year where I (among other things):
*am more in the moment instead of imagining the next step or how things could be better
*try two new recipes every month
*am less self-absorbed
*am more in touch with my brother
*live with as much honesty and straightforwardness as possible
*pray more specifically, which enables me to focus and pray more frequently
*eat more natural less processed foods
*keep working on being someone that others feel understood by
Happy New Year to you!
I will also be getting to know some beaches somewhere else, far far away, come next month...
I'm going to spend a few weeks of our winter in New Zealand for their summer.
This is a dream come true, and I can hardly believe it's actually happening.
The photo on the header of this blog is of one of the first beaches in that country on my list to see... and explore, and read by, and run along, and take pictures on. Maybe when I return I will replace the photo above with one of my own from the same spot.
I've been wanting to go for over 4 1/2 years now, and the fact that I planned for and saved over this past year and now to make it happen is one of my biggest accomplishments thus far. I like to dream, but it can be hard for me to take action sometimes.
So here's to a 2009 full of adventure. A year with backpacking and hostelling. A year with a cruise to Mexico with dear friends. A year where I get to do more work that I love than I have been in recent years. A year with taking more chances but secure in the fact that I know myself well enough to handle whatever may come.
And like I decided on New Year's Day and wrote out on a pretty little card to see every day, here's to a year where I (among other things):
*am more in the moment instead of imagining the next step or how things could be better
*try two new recipes every month
*am less self-absorbed
*am more in touch with my brother
*live with as much honesty and straightforwardness as possible
*pray more specifically, which enables me to focus and pray more frequently
*eat more natural less processed foods
*keep working on being someone that others feel understood by
Happy New Year to you!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Pure Reason & Sweet Rhyme
Everyone loved the princesses because of their great beauty, their gentle ways, and their ability to settle all controversies fairly and reasonably … It was said by everyone that Rhyme and Reason settle all problems...
"They're cheering for you," She said with a smile.
"But I could never have done it," he objected, "without everyone else's help."
"That may be true," said the Princess of Pure Reason gravely, "but you had the courage to try; and what you can do is often simply a matter of what you will do..."
"And remember, also," added the Princess of Sweet Rhyme, "that many places you would like to see are just off the map and many things you want to know are just out of sight or a little beyond your reach. But someday you'll reach them all, for what you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover all the wonderful secrets of tomorrow."
-Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth
MY 2008
...year in review, a little more structured than last year's...
Memories of the Year:
*Santa Barbara Film Festival...went to events & interviews & parties for Angelina Jolie, Ryan Gosling, Ellen Page, Casey Affleck, Amy Ryan, and others.
*started Monday evenings running the city college stadium stairs with the other Corinne
*visiting Oregon in the Spring to see my dad and brother and the rest of my dad's side of the family
*the "Last Dance" party at our house on the hill...saying goodbye to that amazing house and also the years of parties that Tara and I have thrown together...
*moving into my studio, running around my neighborhood, falling in love with it
*summer days at the pool with the quinlans and stichters
*conference in San Francisco with my Informed in 08 girls
*becoming informed in 08 with megan, lesley, anna, anna, and emily
*Santa Barbara Museum Nights all summer long with the old roommates
*fourth of july with the Mesa House girls
*Fiesta, when my mom came to visit and we smashed eggs on each other and had lots of churros
*holding my first newborn
*watching the Olympics, especially with my dad and sister when they visited SB
*Labor Day weekend shenanigans in Santa Barbara and LA with Christen and others
*Josiah and Jessica's wedding at Firestone Vineyard, friends dancing the night away in the countryside...
*visiting Tara and family in Phoenix, finally
*weekend in Carmel with my family for my mom's birthday
*a fabulous 26th birthday party downtown with friends complete with the day off work and another chance to sit in on a Rhetoric class with Spencer
*that crazy night in November that started with food at the Chicken Ranch, went on to a high school play, then McConnells tart frozen yogurt, wine at the sisters' house downtown, then to Indochine and a VIP table, to meeting new people with dancefloor smoke in our eyes, to Mad Dog's for the traditional 2 a.m. hot dog, and then Stephen's for a bonfire to cap off the night
*Westmont soccer game post Tea fire, where they won in overtime and I've never seen so many alumni in one place
*hikes at Coyote Hills with family whenever I was in Fremont
*Christmas with 30 plus family members...loving cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmas, parents, & siblings all around
Achievements of the Year:
*buying my mac
*booking a John Mayer Cruise for March of 09... talk about delayed gratification
*thriving while living alone for the first time
*achieving my goal of averaging one goal per game on my soccer team
*booking a major trip... more details to come in 09.
Lesson of the Year:
*every year may not be better than the last, but you can become a better person than you were the year before if you are mindful enough to learn along the way...
Concerts of the Year:
*Coldplay with my family in the Bay
*John Mayer with my family in the Bay
*John Mayer with friends at the Central Coast County Fair
*Bon Iver in Hollywood
*Senior Year at Stateside early summer...always a Westmont reunion
Lows:
*February 29...the extra day of the year was my most painful.
*Having to leave our dream house on the hill
Highs:
*Running to the new Coldplay album by the beach. It's a high like nothing else. It healed me and now continues to thrill me.
*My birthday; getting to see so many friends that have made life as phenomenal as it is
*Watching baby Carly grow
Songs of the Year:
*Skinny Love, Blindsided, & Re:Stacks by Bon Iver
*Strawberry Swing, Lovers in Japan, Death & All His Friends, Lost! and Sparks by Coldplay
*In Your Atmosphere & Say by John Mayer
*More Time & Looks Like Love by Needtobreathe
*Forever by Chris Brown
*everything put out by Rihanna
*Kids by MGMT
*Day N' Nite by Kid Cudi
*Hosanna by Hillsong United
*Human by The Killers
*Don't Stop Believin' by Journey
*Dansa På Min Grav by Bo Kaspers Orkester
*Sway by Annuals
I hope your 2008 had plenty of Rhyme and lots of Reason.
stay tuned for a slideshow from the year...
"They're cheering for you," She said with a smile.
"But I could never have done it," he objected, "without everyone else's help."
"That may be true," said the Princess of Pure Reason gravely, "but you had the courage to try; and what you can do is often simply a matter of what you will do..."
"And remember, also," added the Princess of Sweet Rhyme, "that many places you would like to see are just off the map and many things you want to know are just out of sight or a little beyond your reach. But someday you'll reach them all, for what you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover all the wonderful secrets of tomorrow."
-Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth
MY 2008
...year in review, a little more structured than last year's...
Memories of the Year:
*Santa Barbara Film Festival...went to events & interviews & parties for Angelina Jolie, Ryan Gosling, Ellen Page, Casey Affleck, Amy Ryan, and others.
*started Monday evenings running the city college stadium stairs with the other Corinne
*visiting Oregon in the Spring to see my dad and brother and the rest of my dad's side of the family
*the "Last Dance" party at our house on the hill...saying goodbye to that amazing house and also the years of parties that Tara and I have thrown together...
*moving into my studio, running around my neighborhood, falling in love with it
*summer days at the pool with the quinlans and stichters
*conference in San Francisco with my Informed in 08 girls
*becoming informed in 08 with megan, lesley, anna, anna, and emily
*Santa Barbara Museum Nights all summer long with the old roommates
*fourth of july with the Mesa House girls
*Fiesta, when my mom came to visit and we smashed eggs on each other and had lots of churros
*holding my first newborn
*watching the Olympics, especially with my dad and sister when they visited SB
*Labor Day weekend shenanigans in Santa Barbara and LA with Christen and others
*Josiah and Jessica's wedding at Firestone Vineyard, friends dancing the night away in the countryside...
*visiting Tara and family in Phoenix, finally
*weekend in Carmel with my family for my mom's birthday
*a fabulous 26th birthday party downtown with friends complete with the day off work and another chance to sit in on a Rhetoric class with Spencer
*that crazy night in November that started with food at the Chicken Ranch, went on to a high school play, then McConnells tart frozen yogurt, wine at the sisters' house downtown, then to Indochine and a VIP table, to meeting new people with dancefloor smoke in our eyes, to Mad Dog's for the traditional 2 a.m. hot dog, and then Stephen's for a bonfire to cap off the night
*Westmont soccer game post Tea fire, where they won in overtime and I've never seen so many alumni in one place
*hikes at Coyote Hills with family whenever I was in Fremont
*Christmas with 30 plus family members...loving cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmas, parents, & siblings all around
Achievements of the Year:
*buying my mac
*booking a John Mayer Cruise for March of 09... talk about delayed gratification
*thriving while living alone for the first time
*achieving my goal of averaging one goal per game on my soccer team
*booking a major trip... more details to come in 09.
Lesson of the Year:
*every year may not be better than the last, but you can become a better person than you were the year before if you are mindful enough to learn along the way...
Concerts of the Year:
*Coldplay with my family in the Bay
*John Mayer with my family in the Bay
*John Mayer with friends at the Central Coast County Fair
*Bon Iver in Hollywood
*Senior Year at Stateside early summer...always a Westmont reunion
Lows:
*February 29...the extra day of the year was my most painful.
*Having to leave our dream house on the hill
Highs:
*Running to the new Coldplay album by the beach. It's a high like nothing else. It healed me and now continues to thrill me.
*My birthday; getting to see so many friends that have made life as phenomenal as it is
*Watching baby Carly grow
Songs of the Year:
*Skinny Love, Blindsided, & Re:Stacks by Bon Iver
*Strawberry Swing, Lovers in Japan, Death & All His Friends, Lost! and Sparks by Coldplay
*In Your Atmosphere & Say by John Mayer
*More Time & Looks Like Love by Needtobreathe
*Forever by Chris Brown
*everything put out by Rihanna
*Kids by MGMT
*Day N' Nite by Kid Cudi
*Hosanna by Hillsong United
*Human by The Killers
*Don't Stop Believin' by Journey
*Dansa På Min Grav by Bo Kaspers Orkester
*Sway by Annuals
I hope your 2008 had plenty of Rhyme and lots of Reason.
stay tuned for a slideshow from the year...
Monday, December 29, 2008
an overdue purge
I'm feeling remarkably unsentimental today. Such a thing is rare for me, so it coincided well with tonight's plan for a closet purge. This was first on my to-do list upon coming home from the Bay Area for Christmas, since when I was packing clothes to go up there I became disgusted with how much clothing I have that I don't wear and/or kinda forget about. I did a purge when I moved into the studio in May but it was clearly time for another deeper purge.
So I think I created this post to say goodbye to certain items... which I guess is sentimental, but let me tell you, throwing/giving them away in these two big trash bags is a huge thing for this INFP. I just have a tendency to hang on too long to that which means a lot to me.
Farewell:
-ugly long-sleeved Page B section shirt from freshman year
-pajama boxers i got in 9th grade
-reef sandals i wore through sophomore & junior year of college
-almost all of my button-up "business" shirts...when i started working full-time after college, for awhile I though it meant you had to wear boring dress pants and button-up shirts. i never liked how those looked on me. i'm over it now and actually try to wear clothes i love and are somewhat stylish to the office. makes the workday much more enjoyable.
-tank tops from Thailand I paid to have handpainted. probably only ever wore those like twice.
-the abercrombie jeans i wore probably 2 out of every 3 days on Europe Semester. i hated them from pretty early on... but i haven't been able to throw them out. they are way too big now, thank goodness, and i think its high time they go.
-the darling little dress from the boutique in Montecito i worked at the summer before senior year of college...the owner gave me it as a parting gift, i'd been admiring it for weeks. i never wore it, it always just looked silly on me, try as i might each year to see if it changed. too bad.
-roxy cargo pants i bought in Waikiki on our high school senior graduation trip to Hawaii... i LOVE these. probably the hardest thing to get rid of.
-tennis team tank top from high school
-the t-shirt i got for completing the sprint triathlon two summers ago...i'd like to wear it as a badge of honor but i hate event shirts and never wear them, especially if they are white.
-black workout tank top with "Rinne" on the front in large rhinestones. my friends and i from suite K in Van Kampen Hall made these together sophomore year. shoot, as i'm typing this i realize i can't do it. it went back in my closet.
-a tshirt from Thailand with broken english on the front
-ribbed cute shirt from a gift shop in Ensenada, Mexico that all the girls on our construction team bought together and took a photo in. yeah, never wore that again.
-several items i bought at H&M in Europe, five years ago... haven't been able to throw them out yet, i mean hello, H&M in Europe...
-short denim jean skirt from american eagle that has not only been out of style and not my style for a few years now but also probably too young for me... that happens i guess.
Whew, I feel a lot better after that. And my closet looks great.
So I think I created this post to say goodbye to certain items... which I guess is sentimental, but let me tell you, throwing/giving them away in these two big trash bags is a huge thing for this INFP. I just have a tendency to hang on too long to that which means a lot to me.
Farewell:
-ugly long-sleeved Page B section shirt from freshman year
-pajama boxers i got in 9th grade
-reef sandals i wore through sophomore & junior year of college
-almost all of my button-up "business" shirts...when i started working full-time after college, for awhile I though it meant you had to wear boring dress pants and button-up shirts. i never liked how those looked on me. i'm over it now and actually try to wear clothes i love and are somewhat stylish to the office. makes the workday much more enjoyable.
-tank tops from Thailand I paid to have handpainted. probably only ever wore those like twice.
-the abercrombie jeans i wore probably 2 out of every 3 days on Europe Semester. i hated them from pretty early on... but i haven't been able to throw them out. they are way too big now, thank goodness, and i think its high time they go.
-the darling little dress from the boutique in Montecito i worked at the summer before senior year of college...the owner gave me it as a parting gift, i'd been admiring it for weeks. i never wore it, it always just looked silly on me, try as i might each year to see if it changed. too bad.
-roxy cargo pants i bought in Waikiki on our high school senior graduation trip to Hawaii... i LOVE these. probably the hardest thing to get rid of.
-tennis team tank top from high school
-the t-shirt i got for completing the sprint triathlon two summers ago...i'd like to wear it as a badge of honor but i hate event shirts and never wear them, especially if they are white.
-black workout tank top with "Rinne" on the front in large rhinestones. my friends and i from suite K in Van Kampen Hall made these together sophomore year. shoot, as i'm typing this i realize i can't do it. it went back in my closet.
-a tshirt from Thailand with broken english on the front
-ribbed cute shirt from a gift shop in Ensenada, Mexico that all the girls on our construction team bought together and took a photo in. yeah, never wore that again.
-several items i bought at H&M in Europe, five years ago... haven't been able to throw them out yet, i mean hello, H&M in Europe...
-short denim jean skirt from american eagle that has not only been out of style and not my style for a few years now but also probably too young for me... that happens i guess.
Whew, I feel a lot better after that. And my closet looks great.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
lyrics for the holiday and for life
Sometimes you actually hear the lyrics to songs for the first time, even if they've played every Christmas season before... like these from a familiar favorite...
"Later on
we'll conspire
as we dream by the fire
To face unafraid
the plans that we've made
walking in a winter wonderland."
What a lovely image, and such a thing to aspire to... to face your new plans unafraid. Let's do it.
"Later on
we'll conspire
as we dream by the fire
To face unafraid
the plans that we've made
walking in a winter wonderland."
What a lovely image, and such a thing to aspire to... to face your new plans unafraid. Let's do it.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
a december story: she said yes
I met her at the beginning of freshman year of college. She lived a couple doors down from me in Page B. With big blue eyes and shimmering platinum blonde hair, she already stood out, but the main reason Casey was noticeable was because she was always smiling. And laughing. She was just so happy. We became casual friends, stopping by each others' rooms every once in awhile. Through Casey's eyes, the world was a beautiful fun place, and everyone had something inside them to love. She was so positive and would literally cheer her friends on in such a way that we would ask if she'd been a cheerleader in high school. "Never!" she scoffed. She played soccer, and wouldn't have wanted people to think otherwise. Freshman year continued, and as it drew to a close it was time for sorting out housing for the next year. By chance we ended up getting into the same suite in Van Kampen Hall. That lent us the chance to grow even closer during sophomore year. She introduced me, all of us, to John Mayer. She promised I would fall completely in love with him if I sat still and listened to the lyrics of the sweetly melodic song she had been playing over and over again all week that November of 2001.
And she was right.
Our junior year I spent as an R.A., and she spent in Italy. She studied business and Italian, walked everywhere over the cobbled streets of Milano, took trips to Switzerland and France, and generally had the time of her life. But she kept in touch with consistency and care, sending me letters asking about everything going on with me. Such diligence in the middle of her adventures was remarkable to me, and I knew that it was due to her that our friendship stayed strong despite the distance.
After college graduation we got the chance to finally be actual roommates, and we had a wonderful time for a few months in that old dilapidated house that sat between estates and overlooked the mountains in Montecito. We spent our days not cooking, taking beach walks, and talking the night away about our loves, lost and found. It wasn't unlike what we do now when we get together for weekends, either here where I am still in Santa Barbara, or where she moved back to in Orange County. Eat, walk, laugh, discuss love lost and found...
The thing about Casey is that guys love her. I mean it. They fall in love with her easily, and it is difficult for them to fall out. They are drawn to her carefree bubbly gorgeousness... and then their hearts get inextricably bound by her deep and observant perspectives and beliefs on life, faith, friendship, and love... her devotion to friends, her knowledge of business and philosophy, her commitment to truly living life to the fullest. I've watched it happen again and again. Casey sometimes loves them back, but she has extremely high standards for how a relationship should be and how she should feel and what would be good for her. She has never apologized for that, and always knew she'd find what she was looking for.
A few months ago she started dating a boy she knew from when they went to high school youth group years ago... Chase was the good-hearted guy that would take girls to prom that had really wanted to go but didn't have a date. He was the quiet and dutiful soul she never really got to know. So in early June they reconnected and he invited her over to his house for dinner, and once she got there she realized it was a full-on date... made evident by the elaborate lobster and steak dinner he had been working on for hours. She was impressed by his thoughtfulness and genuine display of affection for her. Summer crept by, and Casey and Chase became inseparable... and of course Chase fell in love.
But so did Casey.
They passed through Santa Barbara a few days ago en route to Cambria and then San Francisco for a birthday trip they'd planned together for Casey's birthday. I joined them for lunch, we caught up... Casey was glowing with excitement for their coastal road trip. Chase was content and smiling, happy to just be sitting by her side, as always. We said farewell, and they wound their way up the 101 along the ocean.
Hours later I saw a missed call from Casey. I called her back.
In Morro Bay, Chase had suddenly pulled off the freeway as the sun was setting. "Let's get out and check out the sunset! This looks like a path down to the beach!" They got out and followed the path, neither of them sure where it would lead, but only one of them knowing why they had so spontaneously taken it. It wound through tall grass and over some hills before delivering them to a stunning lookout point with views of the fading colors of the sunset and the hills of the central coast that roll so gently towards the beach. They sat to take it all in for a few moments before Chase popped up, fidgeted for a moment, then turned to Casey. He said some beautiful things to her... and then he had something sparkly appear in his hand...and then he asked her.
And she said yes.
My best friend is getting married.
And she was right.
Our junior year I spent as an R.A., and she spent in Italy. She studied business and Italian, walked everywhere over the cobbled streets of Milano, took trips to Switzerland and France, and generally had the time of her life. But she kept in touch with consistency and care, sending me letters asking about everything going on with me. Such diligence in the middle of her adventures was remarkable to me, and I knew that it was due to her that our friendship stayed strong despite the distance.
After college graduation we got the chance to finally be actual roommates, and we had a wonderful time for a few months in that old dilapidated house that sat between estates and overlooked the mountains in Montecito. We spent our days not cooking, taking beach walks, and talking the night away about our loves, lost and found. It wasn't unlike what we do now when we get together for weekends, either here where I am still in Santa Barbara, or where she moved back to in Orange County. Eat, walk, laugh, discuss love lost and found...
The thing about Casey is that guys love her. I mean it. They fall in love with her easily, and it is difficult for them to fall out. They are drawn to her carefree bubbly gorgeousness... and then their hearts get inextricably bound by her deep and observant perspectives and beliefs on life, faith, friendship, and love... her devotion to friends, her knowledge of business and philosophy, her commitment to truly living life to the fullest. I've watched it happen again and again. Casey sometimes loves them back, but she has extremely high standards for how a relationship should be and how she should feel and what would be good for her. She has never apologized for that, and always knew she'd find what she was looking for.
A few months ago she started dating a boy she knew from when they went to high school youth group years ago... Chase was the good-hearted guy that would take girls to prom that had really wanted to go but didn't have a date. He was the quiet and dutiful soul she never really got to know. So in early June they reconnected and he invited her over to his house for dinner, and once she got there she realized it was a full-on date... made evident by the elaborate lobster and steak dinner he had been working on for hours. She was impressed by his thoughtfulness and genuine display of affection for her. Summer crept by, and Casey and Chase became inseparable... and of course Chase fell in love.
But so did Casey.
They passed through Santa Barbara a few days ago en route to Cambria and then San Francisco for a birthday trip they'd planned together for Casey's birthday. I joined them for lunch, we caught up... Casey was glowing with excitement for their coastal road trip. Chase was content and smiling, happy to just be sitting by her side, as always. We said farewell, and they wound their way up the 101 along the ocean.
Hours later I saw a missed call from Casey. I called her back.
In Morro Bay, Chase had suddenly pulled off the freeway as the sun was setting. "Let's get out and check out the sunset! This looks like a path down to the beach!" They got out and followed the path, neither of them sure where it would lead, but only one of them knowing why they had so spontaneously taken it. It wound through tall grass and over some hills before delivering them to a stunning lookout point with views of the fading colors of the sunset and the hills of the central coast that roll so gently towards the beach. They sat to take it all in for a few moments before Chase popped up, fidgeted for a moment, then turned to Casey. He said some beautiful things to her... and then he had something sparkly appear in his hand...and then he asked her.
And she said yes.
My best friend is getting married.
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