Late night in an airport...

It's about 10:00 pm, and I'm waiting to board my flight back to Boston. I just had a fantastic weekend with some of the best friends a girl can have, which I happily finished off with a cookie monster "adult milkshake." I mean, it really could not have been any better!

So now I'm sitting here with my laptop on Philly's free wireless, and I'm getting drowsy. I'm also noticing that there's barely anyone here, despite the kiosk telling me that the flight was overbooked. In other words... people watching is not an option. So, I figured I'd start typing, and hopefully end up somewhere by the time I get called to board my flight.

I think I'd like to talk about friendship. Kelley, Rach, and Brad are some of my absolute best friends, and spending time with them started making me think about other friends that I've made around the country. I've got friends I love from every city I've ever inhabited, and the best of them all have very similar qualities. Seeing as I'm embarking on building new friendships as we speak, perhaps this is will be a good reminder for me, in addition to being flattering to all you who read this.

So, here's what makes my friends fantastic...

- First of all, they're just fantastically interesting people. My friends happen to be really tops when it comes to people who are making use of the time they're given. Hearing their stories and sharing in their experiences brings such fabulous color into my life.

- My friends support my eccentricities. Sure, everyone thinks that my feelings towards the mixing of brown and black accessories is ridiculous, but I'm passionate about it, so they let me hoot and holler. They also know that sometimes I have to dance, sometimes I have to sing, and sometimes they might want to walk 20 feet behind me. Sure, they might hide behind a corner while I do whatever it is I want to do... but they let me do it, because it makes me happy.

- We can meet up after months or even years apart, and it doesn't screw up our rhythm one bit. Sure, we might have to clarify stories a bit, and our priorities might have changed a bit, but good times will still be had, just like always. (This one's a bit cliche, but I say that's just because it's quintessential to a great friendship.)

- If I'm interested, they're interested. At least for a little while. If I'm excited about something and want to share, my friends will listen. If it's crude, they'll ask for an abbreviated version, if it's uncomfortable, they'll last as long as they can, and if it's nerdy... well, they'll probably love it! Most important part is that they'll at least try to be interested, because it means something to me.

- They know that at the end of the day, we're friends no matter what. Little spat? We'll get over it. Awkward situation? We'll figure out how to get comfortable again. One of us is an idiot? We'll apologize till we're blue in the face, and do everything we can to fix it.

- If one of us is hurting, the other one is hurting. My friends and I have been known to have contagious crying. There have been meltdowns from thousands of miles away, because one of us has hit a rough patch that no one ever deserves to hit. It might mean that sometimes we're carrying a little more baggage than just our own, but it also means that when one of us is happy, the other one is just as happy!

- We can spend hours doing barely anything, and still have an amazing time.

- They deal with my obsession with hugs. Even my friends who aren't down with too much physical contact will give in every once in a while and let me give them a hug.

- They call me out on my shit. Sometimes my "spoiled" is showing, sometimes I'm fooling myself, and sometimes I'm just being a selfish b*tch. If I'm wrong, they let me know, and I'm much the better for it.

- They are honest to me - no if, ands, or buts. Good friends know that being a little brutal now is better than the mess that can result later. Clothes and boys are the most often tasks requiring honesty, but the possibilities for when I need their honest opinion have truly proven to be infinite.

- They see things in me that I may not see in myself.

I can only hope that I'm as good of a friend back to you all.

Love,
Katie