Ok....next installation will focus on # 2

Before, landing my new job I wasn't in the prettiest of places. I will admit that I made some bad choices and put myself in a position that was not that great. I've now learned that "you don't have a job until you'd signed the I-9" will forever be my mantra when job hopping / searching. As you can probably tell, i was jobless prematurely and found myself scrambling. I am not a quitter. I worked my ass off trying to find a new job and I did...however, it took a while. During the "while" period, I called a close friend or two and cried and vented and felt ashamed, but then I felt strong, brave, wiser, and loved. My friends that I was living with gave me emotional support and cheered me on and commiserated when interviews fell flat. I have a few VERY true, amazing, loving, supportive, intuitive friends out here in this lovely new state. Without the support of these friends I would have undoubtedly survived...but would have been a blubbering mess every moment I wasn't "faking it to make it" at work / interviews. These people have helped me realize that the value of good friends and just plain quality people in your life is not measurable. Value is the wrong word, in fact, importance feels better here. The importance of these kinds of rare gems in my life is of the utmost.

I try to be the best person and the best friend I can be in return. I cannot give much, but a true, honest, compassionate heart goes a long way sometimes! I am thankful for my friends on the East Coast that I can call, talk to for an hour, and feel like its been 5 minutes since we last saw each other /spoke. I am SO very gratful that my sister is a friend and I can call and cry to, laugh with, vent, scream, or be scared in front of any time life requires it.  My college friends and my TFA friends are still some of my favorite people to catch up with and share memories and updates with, but these people here in Colorado have earned a permanent place in my heart and in my life...good luck getting rid of me :) I'm going to love y'all to bits forever!

I've noticed through the years that many people like to say "friends are family" or  "my family is my group of friends" or something along those lines. I beg to differ. My friends are not more important than family, but definitely different.  They are highly important, privy to some serious skeletons and secrets, loving beyond measure, often unconditionally, and still a challenge in the best of ways. The Greeks were right, three kinds of separate, different, and important loves and all are equal. The love of friends and love for friends is something I've been graced with throughout my life, but recently I am especially thankful for these Coloradans!