At The Intersection of Happy Valleys and Rainbows

Friends are a wonderful thing to have in life, and I don't think we spend enough time appreciating them.
A wise person once said that God gave us friends because we don't get to choose our families. Friends are the family we get to pick.

I turned 22 recently, and to kick off my 22nd year, I'd like to say a few thank yous:

Thank you to my daring and adventurous friend Nidi, who braved 2 feet of snow, icy temperatures, and over 200 miles of driving in 24 hours to go camping with me last weekend. You are a badass, and I am so happy to have you as an adventure buddy. More adventures in the future!

Thank you to my wonderful friends who rallied together to make my birthday special. I am thoroughly appreciative of the gifts, the warm wishes, the good times, (the good beer!), and for y'all being there for me when my family was not able to be. Thank you for tolerating my cooking and working with my schedule despite the delays brought on by the snow. You all rock, and I will never stop loving you and being thankful for having you in my life. 

Thank you to Emily and Evan, for the wonderful gift and for always being there. I love you guys so much! Thanks to Danielle, for driving all the way up to see me on her days off work. Thanks to Kelly, my wonderful roommate, for helping me learn how to cook real food and being the best roommate ever! Thanks to Brian, for being an awesome friend who's always there for me and always down to bojangle*!

 My first grown up dinner. Ina Garten's perfectly roasted chicken!

 ...and for dessert, fresh ripe pineapple soaked in coconut rum!

Thanks to Gill and Grace, for being extra awesome and tromping through the ice and snow to hike a frozen Crabtree Falls with me on my day off.

Enjoying victory cookies at the icy summit

Thank you to all the friends who couldn't be with me for my birthday, but still took a moment to reach out across the distances and extend a little love my way. I hope you feel the love I'm sending back at you!

Thank you to Ducky, for always being down for whatever adventure I throw her way, and for being just fun to be around in general! I am never bored when I'm hanging out with you. Thanks for that sweet bike ride in the brief glimpse of spring weather we saw just a few days ago. And thanks for always looking out for me, Mama Duck!

Oh and thanks for the idea for the title of this blog post!

Finally, if not most importantly, thank you to my family. I was sad I couldn't be near you on my birthday, but I felt you there in spirit! Thank you for the wonderful gifts and the lovely pre-birthday celebration, and for everything you have done for me over the last 22 years. Rest assured I was well taken care of while you were away, despite missing you dearly!

You all make me stronger!

*Definition - bojangle: to intentionally divert from the original plan/trail with the goal of doing something awesome, crazy, and likely somewhat dangerous; side effects may include minor wounds and emotional scarring, amazing pictures, and great stories.