"I got fake eyelashes glued on a month ago for homecoming and they still won't come off. It's becoming a problem."

Great stories have great scenes. If I looked back at today I'll remember specific moments and scenes that made it special. It's a rarity that I get to see CILTies during the school year but when I can show up I try to make it happen. It worked out that Storyline ended on Friday and I didn't have to be to MI for the YL Summit till Saturday at noon--so I got to have a reunion with a group of fantastic girls. There are scenes that stand out from our short time together.

When I walked into Gaby's house I was greeted by her mom and dog at the front door. I had just said hello when I heard screaming and a stampede coming from the basement steps. Two seconds later I was attacked with hugs from Shannon, Gaby and Erin. After not seeing each other for far too long we were beyond excited to be reunited.

Gaby's very Italian father cooked dinner for all of us. We sat around the dining room table with Diet Coke centerpieces, a huge platter of pasta, a basket of bread and a giant bowl of italian salad. Kelly got the stringy cheese all over the place and Brenna ate a whole meal even though she'd just come from a XC pasta party. We laughed and told stories and passed around a bucket of Halloween candle after we'd cleaned our plates.

We went on an adventure together. A Taylor-Swift-blaring, packed-in-the-car, we're-all-in-the-same-place-at-the-same-time kind of adventure. We went to a pizza place and saw more friends and the girls shared an abandoned piece of pizza that they found and it was all sorts of funny and weird and great. I can still hear Shannon saying, "I LOVE the suburbs!" and being astounded that we didn't even have to parallel park.

Late that night I sat with Gaby, Shannon and Maggie on the couch downstairs. We had the kind of real conversation that we're so used to having at camp together in the Longhouse. We talked about the kind of decisions they and their friends are making and what is shaping what they think. We have different experiences and perspectives and backgrounds but everyone's ideas are valued and important. I got to see more of their hearts and share my own with them.