new friends

 Moving isn't new for me. This is my third time moving far from home. Each move has brought its own new & exciting adventures, challenges, & discoveries. I find a little more about myself each time I've been uprooted & forced to redefine who I am away from my family & all that's familiar. It's a good thing, even if it's uncomfortable & for a few weeks I can't figure out how to get to the grocery store or where the cheapest gas is or how to open the mailbox. And each time you move, you have to figure those simple everyday things out all over again. But there's one thing that's always been the same: I've made friends. People have been so good at reaching out to me. When I was 18 & away from home for the first time, two girls out of college took me under their wing & fed me, physically & spiritually. When I was at the end of my rope with that awful desk job, I moved to California where I was welcomed with open arms by a vast area of ages. This time, my new family came through to make me feel at home.  

 We may only be family through marriage: Adriana & I married cousins who grew up working on the family farm together, but it feels deeper than that. She is a lovely, talented, crafty type & I knew when I saw her owl print scarf & orange kitchenaid that we would be friends. She's done great about inviting us over & peeling me away from the wall in church. When she asked me to take some photos of their little family, I was honored.

Here's to a friendship that has just begun.