Bittersweet

I've been MIA the past few days working on a case study and a research proposal. Both are turned in, and I have one assignment due on Saturday. I have one semester left until I have my Masters! It's a bittersweet time; I'm excited the semester will be over so I have a break from school, but I'm sad to say goodbye to two of my closest friends as they graduate on Saturday.

I met both Nathan and Brad shortly after I started college but can't remember the two being in the same group until late in the second semester of our freshman year. The first vivid memory I have of Nathan is eating lunch with him at City Cafe. I had gone with a couple of girlfriends, and he was there with a friend. For those of you not familiar with City Cafe, it's a meat-and-three place in Northport, which is adjacent to Tuscaloosa (much like Opelika to Auburn for you Valley folk). The line is out the door. No one tells you where to sit; you just stand in line until a table comes available. Because of the nature of the first-come first-serve restaurant, my friends decided to sit with Nathan and his friend so we could get a table more quickly. We had met them at church but didn't really know them that well. Nathan lived down the hall from Jordan the first two years of college then shared a bedroom with Jordan in the apartment the next two years. Nathan was quickly one of Jordan's best friends in college, and I don't have too many memories since the second semester of college that don't include him. We've often been told we are the same person in two different bodies, who happen to be different genders. Nathan's been the butt of far too many jokes, but he takes it so well. He's been a source of wisdom for both Jordan and me the past several years.

I also met Brad early on freshman year. I always thought of him as the friendly, preppy guy that I would pass on the quad on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We really didn't start hanging out with him until Spring Retreat our freshman year. That weekend he was often the odd-man-out, being the only person in our group not in a couple. Once we got back from the retreat, we couldn't seem to get away from this crazy-fun guy. He would show up at Jordan's dorm room in his pjs, asking us to watching old episodes of Saturday Night Live with him. He's introduced me to way too many youtube videos. Brad is Jordan's other best friend. He's the nicest person you will ever meet and will do anything for his friends. It's always a party when he's around.

My college experience has looked a little different than what I envisioned. I thought I'd have girlfriends around all the time. I have a few really close friendships with girls, but the people I have spent the most time with have been Jordan, Nathan, and Brad. I was brought to the realization not too long ago that although I don't necessarily have what I expected to have, I have far more than I could ever imagine. Thanks, guys, for being a friend to me and to Jordan. I'm so glad he has great friends like you who have made him a better person and loved him along the way.