“…Sobbing and eating chocolate. God. I miss my best friend.”

Questions dropped like anvils on a Bugs Bunny cartoon. She had questions about Nerang, Pottsville, jobs, school systems, collages, safety, money, how many bags we are going to be packing, and how many boxes we are going to be shipping. Any questions a best friend could think of she was asking, and all at once too. “You would have kicked my ass by now if I were in your place.” And though we both know I would never literally “kick her ass”, I definitely would have put her under the same interrogation lamp she had put me under. It’s what we do; we’re best friends. At the end of the conversation we came to the conclusion that the questions were to comfort her because, just like me, it’s hard for her sleep at night when she fears the “unknown” for someone she loves. For as long as I can remember Carina has really been there for every tough decision I have had to make in the past five or six years, and just as we were both there for Landon’s birth, we have both been there to watch our friendship’s rebirth and growth. It’s been a Choose Your Own Adventure book filled with more hysterical stories than any comedian could ever dream up. But now my adventure book brings me to a new page, “To move to Australia turn to page 103.” Before I turn that page Carina wants to make sure there isn’t a box jelly fish there to greet me, but isn’t that part of the adventure? Isn’t that why we loved those books so much? Adventure.

The thing is, Derek and I aren’t going out there on a whim. We aren’t just picking up with a tent, fun safari hats and heading out there with some fake snake repellant. It’s been over seven months since we first tossed the idea of Australia back and forth between the two of us. Since then we have done so much researching, interviewing, brainstorming, talking, “skyping”, meditating, and harping over this decision. So now that the time is approaching to turn that page we are all a little anxious. As I type this Derek is still in Australia, and though I said he was having all the fun; he is doing so much of the hard work. He’s a real trooper; being the eyes, ears, and heart for both Landon and I over there- who, by the way, have never even physically been to Australia. So as nerve racked as all our loved ones are… we understand, and we love you even more dearly for wanting to protect us. It’s what we do; we’re family.

After a long meeting today with my wise, new friend, Pamir, I received a text from Carina, it read, “Lol. Watching Juno- the birth scene- sobbing and eating [dark] chocolate. God. I miss my best friend.” It brought me back to something Pamir had said earlier in the day, “Life is not random. The Universe is not random.” I know you are thinking, “Okay, how did you get from Juno to the Universe?” It’s not so much about Juno as it is about Carina. There is no randomness in any relationship, big or small, and it’s not a coincident that Carina moved away a year ago. It’s taught us that distance, whether it is 1,601 miles from Maine to Miami or a flight or two to Australia, is no match for the bonds we have all created.

Here's a video I made for Carina when she turned her page, I feel it's appropriate to post on this blog: