A Favorite Night

Last night I had one of my favorite nights in California. A few months ago - or I guess now its been almost 8 - I wrote about how hard it was to leave my friends in Colorado and how I knew one day I'd be leaving California and it'd be the people who I'd miss the most. I wrote it well and was trying my best to be hopeful, but in all honesty I had little faith that I'd meet people who would grow to be great friends.

Little did I know, God had a group of people picked out and He'd have me meet them right away.

On my first full weekday in this state I interviewed for my job, and at my interview I had lunch with Allison and Stacy. Both seemed nice and I thought they'd be fun coworkers. Then on my first day at the job a fellow Texan (Casey)came barreling into my cubicle, excited to meet someone from her native land :) I met Jessica at the end of my first week Andi really lucked out with my desk placement - I sit right across from her.

At the time it didn't seem like friendships were budding fast enough for my impatience, and I remember crying to Austin one night that I just needed to get used to having no friends for awhile. I've been beyond blessed with my friendship throughout my life, I just thought maybe luck had run out.

But sitting here today, thinking about how much fun we've had and how close we've gotten in 7 months I realize I've been proved wrong again!

Last night we went out to dinner for a Christmas gift exchange. Casey suggested a 'favorite things' exchange and if you've never done one I highly recommend it. Our spending limit was $5 and the instructions were to pick one of your favorite things for $5 and buy 4. It's amazing how much your personality can show through with such a low budget.

Casey made a homemade mix CD of all of her favorite Christmas songs and gave everyone the movie Wedding Crashers (because we kind of behaved like the crashers at Jessica's wedding). Allison gave us all $4 lotto tickets and candy. Stacy gave us 2 different kinds of Bert's bees. Jessica made homemade snow globes and got us 3 scotchie candies from her favorite candy shop. I...well, I gave everyone a mini bottle of patron. What can I say? It's my favorite.

Our first restaurant choice was closed for a private party, and our second was closed for ...we aren't sure why. But our third choice ended up perfect and we had such a great time exchanging pieces of our personality over a non-traditional Japanese dinner.

I miss my friends in Colorado, and I miss my friends back home, but I am so thankful for the friends God had lined up before I even got here.

My Christmas spirit has been rekindled, and its not too late!