This week’s blog is going to be a little different and I’m so excited to share it. If it’s okay with you guys, I think I would like to start adding in some more candid updates to The Relatable Red mix. I’ve had the idea to introduce you guys to my best friend for a little while now. As I was planning my blog content for the month I realized January 26th was empty… coincidence? I think not. January 26th is my best friend Kalyn’s 26th birthday. Ya gotta love when things work out.
Where to begin?
Kalyn and I have been friends since we were 2 & 3 years old. We met in 1997 when Kalyn’s mom began working at my parents restaurant. We don’t actually know the day we met of course, but we celebrate our friend-aversary every St Patricks Day! March 17th 2020 will be 22 years of friendship. If you know us in real life, we are both so dang proud of this friendship. We are quick to tell anyone that will listen that we have been friends for over 2 decades.
Growing up with someone for almost your entire life is a blessing I can’t begin to describe. I’ve mentioned in previous blogs that my fiancé and I do not believe in soulmates. I should clarify, I don’t believe in romantic soulmates but I do believe in best friend soulmates. I know it seems strange but I believe the romantic aspect muddies the water and makes things more complicated. Whereas in friendships, because you don’t spend quite as much time together and there’s no romantic aspect, you can find one specific person who is inherently more suited to you than others. I have amazing friends, truly the best in the world. But I believe Kalyn is my best friend soulmate. No one gets me quite like she does.
I know everyone thinks they have the best, best friend in the world, but I am here to say no, I do… lol. Perhaps the most admirable thing about this friendship is that it has never wavered. There was never a time in the entire 22 years that we were not each others best friend. No matter who has come and gone in our lives (friends, family, boys) we have always remained as close as ever and always put each other first.
Meet the birthday girl
Kalyn is kind and goofy. She is an animal lover through and through. She used to “rescue” bees from her pool growing up. She’s an awesome mom and of course a great friend, not just to me. She can quote movies lines like it’s her dang job and does impressions better than most. She’s a little shy and passive by nature but then she opens up. There’s this moment that I love so much when she starts to open up around new people. She will make a joke or do an impression and I can see the moment other people start to fall in love with her, too. They see the Kalyn I know. I have watched it happen with every single one of our mutual friends and it never gets old.
Over almost 22 years of friendship, you could imagine we have a ton of amazing memories together!
My all time favorite memories with my best friend:
1. Playing barbies as kids.
The imagination this girl has is insane. She insisted our barbies be native americans on a reservation, moms, doctors and patients, movie stars…. anything you would never think of.
2. Lazy Sundays
Being in the restaurant world, our parents worked every single Sunday. Once we were old enough to stay home alone, we spent almost every Sunday together doing absolutely nothing but watching tv and eating snacks. It was the best.
3. Swimming
Let the temperature break 75 degrees and Kalyn was ready to swim. We spent almost every summer day in the pool working on handstands, playing mermaids, and diving for pool sticks. I have never been the strongest swimmer and to this day, if we are in water together, I always stay near Kalyn so she can rescue me just in case.
4. Clearwater beach trips
Since we were in middle school, Kalyn’s mom took us to Clearwater beach every spring break. In fact, that’s how we started celebrating our friend-aversary. We would get a hotel for a few days, go to the beach all day, and go to dinner or get room service. Some of my best memories came from those trips.
We used to buy magnetic jewelry (nose rings, tongue rings, belly button rings) and pretend to scare my parents with them… as if they’d ever believe that. One of our trips, Kalyn’s mom said we could actually get our belly buttons pierced if my parents said it was okay. Needless to say a ton of begging ensued and we got them. The next year, we got our matching best friend tattoos. I still don’t know how we convinced them to let us do that. I think because they believed in our friendship as much as we did.
5. Vacations
My memories from cruises, dance competitions, and beach trips with my parents and Kalyn are among some of my very favorites. Every single trip was a blast. There are few people in the world, especially growing up, that I had more fun with than those three.
Pretending to have country accents in gas stations on the trips to Tennessee. Quoting movies lines for entire road trips. So many meals making fun of each other and laughing until our stomachs hurt. Doing the Cozumel amazing race. Getting gourmet grilled cheeses by the pool in Daytona beach. Drinking in Mexico. The memories are endless.
6. College
And because we couldn’t bear to part ways for college, we moved away together and became roommates. The partying was fun but nothing beat always having “do nothing together” plans with your best friend.
7. Our 20 year trip
For our 20 year friend-adversary we took a beach trip to St. George Island, Florida. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend this quaint little beach town with the best dang pizza (BJ’s pizza) I’ve ever had. We stayed in a tiny little hotel that had guests that stayed for months at a time. Because it was so small we had to be really quiet coming in at night. I’ll never forget tip toeing through that hotel to our room after a night of celebrating our once in a life time friendship. No one makes me laugh like her. Needless to say, I am sure we weren’t as quiet at we thought we were.
8. The big milestones
We are so lucky to have grown up together and now be living out all the days we dreamt of as kids. Being there when Kalyn had her first child and now being just 2 months away from having my best friend stand next to me on my wedding day. It’s a blessing we do not take for granted.
I just want to take a minute to shout out my best friend on her 26th birthday. I am so proud to know you. Thank you for being dependable, tender hearted, and understanding all these years. You’ve showed me how I should be loved by others. I can’t wait for another 20 years as best friends.
Happy Birthday Kalyn Marie.
