Last weekend I traveled up north to Door County (that’s the left handed thumb in the mitten that is Wisconsin) to visit my best friend Natalie. There’s a new chapter in her near future that is approaching fast now, so we carved out some time to be present together before the wave of change comes. I started crying when I crossed the county line — listening to old Taylor Swift songs and anticipating the bittersweetness of the moment before I was even next to her.
We’ve been friends since the 3rd grade. She transferred to New Glarus Elementary at the start of the school year and I can vividly remember the moment we locked into “oh this is gonna be good” friendship territory. We were on the playground at recess sharing facts about our life when she told me her best friend’s birthday was July 7th.
I exclaimed, “That’s my birthday too!” And just like that, instant friendship.
Loving Natalie, and being loved by Natalie is one of the greatest gifts of my life. To be a part of this lifelong friendship where we have witnessed each other grow up, fall apart and rebuild ourselves again is a type of love I wish everyone could experience. I’m humbled that I get to in this lifetime.
We didn’t make too many plans for how we’d spend our time, we just naturally started to do all the things we did as children. We regressed to our eleven year old selves and started choreographing dances like we used to for the Spring Talent Show. We had an impromptu photoshoot and reminisced about how she was my first artistic muse when I was discovering photography. We made puppy chow and went to Al Johnson’s for the nostalgia. We played Mario Kart and stacked rocks at Pebble Beach. Natalie even read me to sleep one night after I expressed how much I’ve always loved her reading voice.
We spent the weekend with our childhood selves. We refilled our cups full of the innocence and joy. We made a weekend to remember.
In this very special episode I dive into all of this deeper and invite you to think of what spending a weekend with your inner child might look like. I hope you’ll give this gift to yourself too.
With Love,
J
