Miles away from Michigan

The best part of going to Michigan for my graduation (other than getting to see my parents and having them meet Leona!!) was seeing so many of our old friends again. They aren't all there anymore, but some of our bosom buddies haven't flown to the four corners of the earth yet!

We arrived on a Saturday evening, right at the beginning of one of the softball games Jesse used to play in. One of our friends found him a mitt and a jersey and he jumped right into the game like we had never left! 

I haven't done a good job of keeping in touch with our friends, but we started talking again like no time had passed. It was really, really, really wonderful. 

Our kids didn't remember each other or the other grownups (Niko didn't remember living there at all!) but they were quickly introduced and soon began asking if they were cousins. We decided that they might not be cousins by blood, but they are the cousins of our hearts (and if they're cousins, that means we have an excuse to go see them again soon, right?)

Our friends the Porters (and Kyra!) who are moving to Sweden this summer!

Our friends the Jacksons were gracious enough to let us sleep in their basement, which meant we could put the kids to bed and then head upstairs and chat until we fell asleep on the couch. 

Group hug with our old monthly conversation group--I'm loving Nycole's daughter in the front there with the phone!

We happened to be in town on the last weekend before some beloved friends of ours moved away, and we were so glad to get to spend some time with them.

Thatchers, we love you!

Niko spent the last hours before we left playing video games in the basement with his pseudo-cousins, which is everything I hoped for him.

Going back to Michigan was sort of surreal (did we even live in another country and another state for 2 years?!) but also really lovely. It was good to realize that we can maintain long-term, long-distance friendships with some beloved friends. It was very centering to return to people who I love and who love me, and to know these are friendships I can turn to down the road.

But it also made me realize that I need to work harder to make Connecticut home! As we were getting ready to leave I realized I was dreading saying goodbye and returning to real life. Sure, it makes sense that I'd be sorry to leave my best friends, but shouldn't I have been glad to come back to my life and the good things we've got going on?

I realized that I haven't tried hard enough to find things to enjoy in Connecticut, and, more importantly, I haven't worked to make friends here. Making friends is hard, and can't be done artificially, but moving from Michigan made me realize that I do need friends, and not just ones that live 800 miles away! I know I might not make friends like I did in Michigan, but I still need to try and form some friendships that I can rely on and grow from here. 

So it was a really good visit, both because it was delightful to reconnect with our bosom buddies, but also because it gave me some much-needed perspective on my current life. 

Thanks for the love and friendship, Michigan friends, and we hope to see you again soon!