This weekend was a logistical miracle. Somehow we perfectly aligned the schedules of Maggie, Ellie, Olivia and I so that we had no conflicts. Though there was the possibility of more snow in the Midwest we still made it out of Indy on Friday afternoon. Just 4 hours later, Olivia and I made it to Peoria, IL to spend three days with two of our favorite people in the whole world.
Maggie is one of the best friends I've ever had and I love her heart and spirit so much. Odle and Ellie have been best friends since they first met as Pathfinders. I got to be one of their CILT counselors in 2012. Getting to have all four of us together for a whole weekend was almost too good to believe.
We also got to see other Peoria friends like Mia and Katie Dixon. Mags and I went to One World, a Peoria favorite, while Ellie and Odle went to a ND basketball game. We did some crafting, hung out with Bubba and Jane for a little bit, played Perfect Match, visited Mia at Sweet CeCe's, watched Gossip Girl, played Taboo at the Pearl's house, went out to breakfast, sang in the car and just loved being together.
This weekend was such a good dose of being with friends all day every day just like we are at Tecumseh. There's just something so special about having the people you love around all the time. These people are such great examples of what I think are some of the most important rules of friendship: make time for each other, help the other person be the best version of themselves, stay invested even when it's not easy, love them for who they are.
After breakfast Olivia and I hit the road again. Let it be known that Oh la la Olivia is one heck of a road trip partner. We made a pit stop in Champaign to see the one and only Maeve Plunkett. Maeve and I met during 2011 CILTs and she and Olivia lived in the same cabin this past summer. She's one of our favorite people.
It was a quick visit but so great to see Maeve's dorm and to catch up for a little bit. Maeve is one of those people that just shines and you can't help but want to be around her. I'm so thankful for her friendship for the past couple years. She inspires me to be more joyful and to always look for the best in every person and situation.
As we were leaving Champaign we stumbled across S Wright St. You better believe I pulled the car right over so Odle and I could capture the moment. I've found my new favorite place.
During the Super Bowl Julia and Lucy Dewolf were working on friendship bracelets at their house. Julia texted me that Lucy, a 4th grader, just said, "I'm addicted. You got me addicted Julia. And there's no cure. But I don't want a cure. I love it." I feel her pain. The struggle is real.
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