reunited.

i got the chance to hang out with one of my dearest friends, miss alyssa bray. she was on her spring break from ewu and decided to spend a couple days in seattle. i met alyssa, (along with roommate, bekah), when we were all put on the same floor. we immediately hit it off, and they both became two of my best friends last year.
alyssa went to spu her first two years and was a nursing major. she unfortunately didn't get into the nursing program at spu, and decided to transfer to ewu in cheney, which also happens to be her hometown. 
when i found out she was leaving and not coming back, i was heartbroken. here, one of the best friends i had made in college was leaving me. that sucks -- when you have such a genuine connection with someone, only to have it taken away from you. i felt bad for myself for awhile. but then i realized that it wasn't about me, and she was just doing what was best for her. i had to support her no matter where she decided to go.
alyssa is one of those people that no matter how long it's been since you've seen her, she makes you feel like you hung out yesterday. her laugh makes you want to laugh, and she is the best confidant. we have the same sense of humor and are always on the same wavelength. i wouldn't be quite who i am if i hadn't met her, and i'd like to think she feels the same way.
and while it sucks that she isn't in seattle anymore, it makes me that much more grateful for the times i do get to see her. it's so nice to stay in touch - it makes me feel like she isn't that far away.

 i had another reunion of sorts - a virtual one via oovoo - with my friends i studied abroad with. 4 friends, 3 states, and 2 time zones....i got to see them and hear their voices after almost 4 months. technology is so awesome. we talked for an hour and a half - catching up and reminiscing about our time in london. kaylee, sarah, and carli made my study abroad experience what it was and i miss them all the time. like sarah texted us all later that night: "it was so wonderful to have London back for a night!" and i could not agree more. we're planning a reunion in australia in winter 2015. and we're serious.

but i guess that's the part about college that i have trouble dealing with. things change so often and so quickly, sometimes my brain and heart are slow to catch up. and i'm the first to admit it. 
all this to say - i'm so thankful for the people i've met throughout the last few years. sometimes you don't know why they are put into your life, or just how much of an impact they will have on you. once they're gone, you truly know how much they've affected you and shape the way you see and treat other people. and that is worth more than words can describe.