I HATE MORMON DATING

...and if there's ever a time that I'm not working, being in a wedding, or sleeping, remind me to tell you why. 

P.S. here's a picture of the scene in Spiderman that honest-to-goodness had me sobbing.

And I'm not kidding (more on that later, sort of).

All the times Paige Anderson just GETS ME.

When I was a junior in high school, I sat next to this girl in my seminary class. Her name was Paige. She was quiet, a year younger than me, and she played tennis. And for some reason, I remember that.

Through the years, we have formed this bizarre bond through blogs, writing, reading, Cheekbones, Plaid Shirts, and Diet Coke. We have made countless efforts to do brunch, but can never find a time that suits both of us, and tonight, while drowning in the cosmetics aisle of the grocery store, I texted to ask her to recommend a bronzer.

THERE IS NO BOND LIKE THE BOND FORMED FROM MAKEUP RECOMMENDATIONS.

Anyway, here is a v important and necessary collage of a few times she has understood my life.  

Idk. She's just. She's amazing.

I MEAN.

This on deserved its own spot because.

VIRTUAL PEP TALKS AND GOOD ADVICE ALWAYS. 

She's smart and brilliant and in D.C. doing something that I don't fully understand, but that I know is rad. Also, she has been sharing her dating-abroad journey with me and it is what I live for right now. Because my dating-abroad journey is not a thing. And DAMMIT MY DATING ABROAD JOURNEY IS NOT A THING.

Dear Paige, Darling,

You're the coolest. Let's never stop being friends ever, k? OKAY.

P.S. Here is her blog. And also, I didn't mention that she's an incredible writer. But she is. 

HAHA, COME HOME, PAIGE.

Going to the chapel and we're gonna get ma-a-a-arried.

The first of us gets married tomorrow. Kelsey is marrying a stand up man with dreams of astrophysics and changing the environment one biodegradable piece of silverware at a time. I will never forget the sleepovers, middle of the night chocolate pudding on my kitchen floor, the summer skinny dipping, ex-boyfriend drives-by, the birthday breakfast kidnappings... none of it. I loved it all. 

I'm sleeping at Haley's house tonight. Haley is my oldest and very best friend. She seals the deal next month. We have been best friends ever since she moved into my sixth grade class. She was the nicest and coolest girl ever and everyone wanted to be her friend. In seventh grade, we made a painful student body officer campaign video that people spoke of for years. In high school, I watched her chase around a red head boy with an orange truck. In college, that same red head boy proposed and I watched her promise to love him for the rest of her life. 

 Tonight, as Haley and I were getting ready for bed, I found her wedding veil. I sort of just froze for a minute and stared.

Point is, the five of us have had a good amount of time to become someone without trying to mold ourselves to anyone else. I like that. We all sort of became different versions of each other, and I think it's sweet.

Gotta go. Kelsey thinks I'm going to be late to her event (yeah right) and I have my speculations that she told me a made up time just to ensure I wouldn't be. Whore. 

Resign to release you.

Kiss me good night
like a good friend might.
And I'll do the same, 
won't mean it.
'Cause love is a cage,
these words on a page
carry the pain,
don't free it...

...In another life, I wouldn't need to

console myself as I resign to

release you.