finding old friends

Sometimes people come along side you in life who just "fit." You know, you need them right then and there. I am the first to admit that God has blessed me with these people throughout my life!

Earlier this summer, one such friend appeared in front of me as a customer at Starbucks: Kristin. In high school, I knew Kristin with Rachael. They go together like peanut butter and jelly. I met the two of them at summer camp. They were great, energetic people. I appreciated their relationship in light of not having any real close friends at my own school or church. They were refreshing.

Finally, this past week, Kristin and I were able to sit down at lunch and find out who we have become over the past 11 years. Amazingly, the two of us share and abundant amount of similar life experiences and we are both in the middle of a lot of change and uncertainty about direction in life. She invited me to Rachael's birthday party this evening so we were able to catch up a bit in the midst of her four boys running around with other friends and another 10 children!

I would have never been able to track these women down without Kristin's visit to my Starbucks store. It was so much fun to see how God has put the three of us in the same place at the same time again. Their strength of character and enthusiasm for life is inspiring! Who knew?

Ice update: 1 month and counting! I put in my order with REI for some last minute belongings, ordered some amazon.com books to be shipped down to Antarctica for me, and I'm in the process of using up this year's gift cards before I leave the country, have put magazines on hold, and am canceling junk mail catalog subscriptions. My clothes are half packed and bills are being followed up on and paid. The WINFLY (Winter Fly-in) flights arrived in McMurdo this past week. The next cargo planes in will be in October. I will be on the second flight of "Main Body," if nothing changes before then.