#2: Old Friends

Another reason I love Thanksgiving: everyone is home. While there are a few reasons why I have a hard time still living in my hometown, there are many reasons why I am happy that I do. This is one of them: that during the holidays I can guarantee I will see friends from my childhood. Today I met up with a high school friend, Jenn, whom I was close to but lost touch with when she graduated a year ahead of me and went away to college. We spent three hours this afternoon catching up at a coffee house, and it proved an old adage I love: that "the older you get, the more you need people who knew you when you were young." It felt so great to laugh with her about the ridiculousness of our adolescence, and even just to hear her laugh again-- one that is the background noise to my memories of cross county and track. Jenn is such a genuine, kind person, someone I always looked up to during high school, and after today realize I still do. I'm thankful we had time to catch up today and for our years of friendship during high school.