So it was about two weeks ago now when I was sitting on my bed that doubles as my couch and, I don't know, probably talking to myself or something, when I got a phone call from my best friend saying she and her boyfriend got a ticket for me to fly out and meet them in Minnesota. They knew I was bored, and that there was nothing holding me back from taking a vacation, but most importantly we were just missin each other. So, I spent the next few days bouncing between packing and doing my happy dance, and on that Sunday I was on a plane.
Austin and the boys of Home Free rented an AirBnb on Prior Lake in Minnesota. When a room opened up, that was my cue to join in on all the lakeside fun AKA taking the boat out to fish, cooking, taking photos, drinking whiskey, laying in the sun, grilling, sitting by the fire, drinking whiskey, making s'mores, talking to geese, and drinking whiskey. The view from our balcony was stupid. I felt like I was living inside a film starring Jack Nicholson.
After I arrived, I quickly threw my bags onto my temporary bed and we gathered into our temporary boat to take a ride to Charlie's, where we ate dinner that night. On our way back there was a family of geese so we excitedly pulled out our cameras and tried to get the best shot of them we could.
This is a completely accurate representation of what happens to my body when I get excited over a nearby animal.
We spent my first night sitting around a fire, drinking whiskey, laughing (mostly at my expense, because I managed to fall down the stairs and have a beetle fly down my shirt all in a matter of minutes), and then we played with sparklers.
Day two. I awoke like 18 hours before Olena and Austin, so I sat at the counter, eating cereal and reading my book, and when they came downstairs, this is sight they were subjected to.
It was Memorial Day, which is usually one of my favorite days of the year. Back in Jersey we have a huge Memorial Day extravaganza at our shorehouse to kick off the summer, and this is the first year that there has been a party and I haven't been able to attend (obviously aside from the two years we were unable to have a party, THANKS HURRICANE SANDY, THANKS ALOT). Memorial Day Weekends of the past I have funneled beers before 10 AM, smuggled alcohol onto the beach, Jersey turnpiked at the bar where Snooki got punched, and been accused by my younger cousins of being an alcoholic. Like a true Jersey lady. This year I got on a boat with two of my favorite people and learned how to fish. Not so Jersey girl anymore.
It was a wonderful day with such good company. I may be a city girl through and through, but by the end of the day I was handling worms and grabbing fish with my bare hands so I guess I'm a little country too. Get a girl who can do both. ;)
Day three Olena and I went to the Motherland, better known as the Mall of America. We spent seven hours inside. Seven. The guys went to and left the recording studio all before we finished shopping at a mall. It was beautiful and nothing hurt. Except for maybe the roller coaster inside the mall that we went on and almost made Olena throw up.
We got home and Austin was fishing, and the sun started to set and it had to have been one of the top 10 prettiest sunsets I'd ever seen.
Day four was gloomy so we went to the movies to see The Nice Guys, and when we got back we took an evening ride on the boat. I don't remember anything specific, just that we laughed a lot.
The only documentation I have of my fifth day on the lake is this Snapchat selfie of Olena, Austin, Chance, and I with face masks on and it's terrifying and amazing and there's really no explanation necessary. I could barely keep it together every time Chance spoke. How was I ever supposed to take him seriously like that?
My back has been giving me problems for, I don't know, FOREVER, and it's been an issue I've tried to correct with physical therapy and yoga, but it just doesn't seem to fade away, so Austin made appointments for the three of us to get adjusted by the best chiropractor in Minnesota. I'd never gone to a chiro before, so I was super nervous, but Dr. Kuch was a true professional and made me feel safe and secure. I highly recommend him if you're ever in Minnesota!
It was a nasty day, perfect for a sing-a-long car drive. As we drove to Mankato for our appointments, we belted out to Beyonce and Maren Morris and reveled in their respective musical brilliance and I realized I was in perfect company.
That night was mine and Olena's last before our triumphant return to LA, so, after our delicious last meal together, we had to take the boat out one last time. This time we had a specific agenda. Olena and I are the best of friends. Like family level friends. And one day we're gonna be 80 year old nursing home buddies and we may get nostalgic and ask one of our nurses to break out the old best friend photo album from all the years we've been friends. And you know what's gonna happen? The nurse is gonna lower the tv that was probably playing an episode of Friends, and she'll turn to us and say, "I'm so sorry ladies. You two never really took any photos together, remember?" And then I'd say, "If I wasn't in this wheelchair I'd kick myself right now," and then Olena would try to kick me and somehow end up hurting herself and we'd laugh and kick the nurse out of our room but not before she returned the TV to it's proper volume.
In an effort to rewrite this sad future I just envisioned for us, we delegated Austin responsible for capturing some photos of us on the boat that evening.
Olena's always the best at capturing photos of me because she sees me better than most people do, if not all people. Ladies, find yourself a best friend who doesn't give you worthless empty compliments. Find a best friend who sees you and points out the things she admires about you and lets you know when she thinks you look beautiful, but also can let you know when you're being unreasonable or that your fart smells. When Olena is taking photos of me it's because she thinks I look worthy of my photo being taken in that moment, which has given me the confidence I've never really had in front of the camera.
They cast their bait, I photographed and watched. I was sitting back to take everything in from the week I had spent with my two favorite people and I felt incredibly grateful in that moment. Especially grateful for Mr. Brown entering my life by way of Olena. I've never had a friendship quite like ours. He's like my big brother and my homie and the caretaker of the person closest to me and my supporter all wrapped up into one. I've always been selective about the men that have entered Olena's life, because she's the person I don't want to see hurt just as much as I don't want myself hurt. Austin entering her life has been the answer to all the mess that came before. I'll always be protective over my best friend, but it's comforting knowing that when I'm not with her, she's with the next best thing. ;)
Austin thinks I'm funny, too, and that means I'm keeping him in my life forever. I can be super weird in front of him because there's no threat of being made fun of or being judged because let's face it, I'm way cooler than him anyway. Plus he thinks I'm as awesome as I think I am so it's a win win. My favorite thing about him is that when we're hanging out, I always feel safe. I never worry about creepy dudes, or being taken advantage of, or any sketch situation when he's there. He's got a comforting big brother presence about him that I know is going to intimidate all of my future boyfriends, if I ever have any. He's always down for good conversation and healthy debate, and he always wants the best for me. He's one of my favorite guys and I'm so grateful for our weird and wonderful Three's Company situation; I don't think I could do it with any other two people.
The more I go through, the more I experience, the more I learn that life gives you what you need always. Even when the hurt is so consuming that it seems incomprehensible that anything other than pain can come of it, trust that you are learning and growing. While things are happening, they just seem like situations and events and circumstances, but when they're over, you realize you just received a gift, or a lesson, or an opportunity for growth, or a decision. Life handed me these two people as gifts to cherish while I stumble through my existence. Life handed me this week of memories before I even knew I needed a getaway. Life has its way of working itself out and this simple week of lake living in Northern America was life's way of handing me my very own second wind.
I leave you today with this photo as a reminder that if you take my camera and snap a sequence of selfies, you are signing over the privacy of those photos to me and you better believe I'll broadcast them. Sorry, not sorry Brown.