California dreamin'

We moved to Cincinnati when I was 9. The moving truck came to our house on my birthday, in fact. I was...ahem...NOT happy.

But there was a delightful Australian family that lived across the street from our new house. They had a daughter, Elizabeth, who was 2 years younger than me. However, I was always a bit behind the curve of girls my age, so it was a perfect fit.

I have loads and loads of memories growing up with Elizabeth. I remember swimming for hours and hours in her pool, playing mermaids or trying to bounce each other off the inflatable rafts. Playing "house" or "doctor" or any of the countless pretend games in my basement (where does Lily get it from, I wonder?). Reading through her voluminous collection of Berenstain Bears books. Walking her dog Aussie around the neighborhood barefoot...returning with stained toe nails because of popping tar bubbles with our toes. Worrying horribly when she and her mother were in a traumatic car accident and she got countless stitches in her forehead. Sitting around her kitchen table, listening to Elizabeth seamlessly switch from an American accent to an Australian one (depending on if she was talking to me or her parents). Eating Nutella (happily) and Vegemite (unhappily). Playing a card game and laughing uncontrollably because she looked so ridiculous after her face swelled up from a bee sting. Watching a snake eat a baby bird a tree by her house. Dressing up with make-up and crazy hair styles and trying to fool the neighbors into thinking we were new to the neighborhood (but we looked so different! How could they tell it was us???).

Need I go on?

Elizabeth and her family moved to San Diego when I was a junior in high school. We had grown understandably apart as we got older...once I became a band geek and she a solid athlete, we had less in common. But there never was a time I didn't enjoy her company.

I went and visited her in San Diego during winter break my junior year of college. We had a great time exploring Del Mar and taking a trolley tour of San Diego and playing games and doing puzzles. I remember thinking, "This is such a nice place to visit...I certainly wouldn't want to live here."

One year later, I found out that I would be moving (near) there. And Elizabeth and her family were our adopted family in many ways once Jeff and I were living in Orange County. I have pictures of Elizabeth holding Andrew as a baby.

And then we moved away. And I haven't even talked to Elizabeth. Very negligent...how life gets in the way. But I knew everything happening with her...since our mothers are still the best of friends.

So I already knew she was getting married when I received her wedding invitation in October. I was surprised to be invited...which Elizabeth apparently knew I would be, since she included a sweet personalized note. And I mentioned to Jeff that as crazy as it seemed, I really wanted to go witness my childhood friend get married. And he dug up some unused frequent flyer miles and told me I should do it.

And so on Friday I am going. It will be nice to enjoy the sunny weather of California, nice to have a weekend away from the kids. It will be nice to mooch off my parents like a teenager and nice to relax and enjoy a long flight cross country. But it will be especially nice to revisit my happy childhood with an old, special friend and her family.