Day 28 - Gearing up with my Wolfpack

As I sit here writing this blog, I’m with two of my very best friends.  My friend Darya drove in today from Lexington Kentucky to celebrate my birthday weekend, and we are at my friend Katie’s fiance’s condo having wine and chatting – gearing up for a weekend of awesomeness.  The three of us, along with our friend Sheena, have been close friends for the past five years, and in the tradition of the great cinematic classic, The Hangover, we call ourselves “the wolfpack.”

Over the past four years, we have celebrated bachelorette parties, birthday parties, engagements, one wedding, Christmases, St. Patrick’s Days, Halloweens, Martin Luther King Days, International Women’s days, and absolutely nothing at all. (You get the picture – we like to celebrate.  Together.  For any reason.)  We have always celebrated here in Chicago, and when Darya moved to Lexington four years ago, we started celebrating there too.  

  

I always have an incredible time when I’m with these three girls.  We have a blast no matter what we are doing – when we have planned a complicated themed party; when we are at the Village Tap on Roscoe, and we are the only ones dancing,; when we are dolled up and betting on horses at the Keenland races in Kentucky; and when we are sitting, drinking wine, and watching Backstreet Boys' videos.  We could spend every waking minute of a weekend together, and still be laughing when it’s over.  We take hundreds of pictures, and then spend weeks looking back at them, reminiscing over our good times.  

 

Another of our friends remarked a few months ago, as we gathered to pose for yet another picture at Katie’s thirtieth birthday party “these four girls always take the same picture.”  We do.  If you’ve ever perused my profile or cover photos on Facebook – you know exactly the girls I’m talking about. I’ve never counted, but I know from over the years, I have dozens of pictures of the four of us – and in every single one we look genuinely happy to be together.

In general, I have amazing people in my life.  As I get older, I see more and more how lucky I am that I have these friends who are willing to put time and love into our relationship – strengthening the bonds as we grow older, mature, and build our adult lives.  To have these girls, who support and complement me in so many ways, is truly a gift.  I am so excited to be turning thirty – and these wonderful friends of mine have planned a night full of awesomeness for all of us, and many more, to celebrate tomorrow.  I couldn’t be more grateful.  Two more days!