So for the rest of our lives, we will text each other at random times and ask, "Hey girl, are you livin'?" DEAL. So we shook on it (technically we hugged). Tats and I met in the crowd at the Bigfoot stage at Sasquatch Music Festival. Thousands of people swarming around us and our stand-out dance moves were the magnets that drew us together. I liked her instantly because she was laid back and clearly happy doing her own thing. We bonded over Maui (she grew up there and I lived there after college) and then we got all amped up about what it means to "really live" and feel alive. We were excited to find another person so determined to live life to the fullest and on that dance floor we agreed to be accountability buddies for life. We also made a backup plan - if we haven't texted all year, then we'll at the very least get in touch on New Years each year. It's just good to know there's somebody out there (no matter how far away) that is going to make sure you don't settle. That's their one job.
Since Sasquatch (3 months) Tats and I have texted 5+ times to check in.
"Hey girl, are you livin?" -- Yes! Just had amazing sex!
"Hey girl, are you livin?" -- I will be soon. Gotta finish studying for finals...ugh!!!
"Hey girl, you livin?" -- Yah!! I'm in Amsterdam!
"Hey girl, you livin?" -- Hellz yah, I just got married!! :)
So far, it's amazing. It's special having her out there, somewhere in the world. Whenever I'm having an amazing time and I catch myself thinking "I LOVE LIFE!" I instantly think of her and shoot her a text to make sure she's feelin' it too.
I'm sure it might seem odd to some people to dive into a relationship like this with a person you just met. But that's the beauty of it. You don't have to run background checks and rigorous tests to find out if you like a person or more importantly, if you care about their well-being as a human. Almost everyone I you meet has a high potential of being someone you could end up caring for deeply if you take the time. So, in the spirit of "innocent until proven guilty", why not be "friends until proven unfriendly"?
When I find a gem-of-a-person, I ask them to be friends, immediately. It's truly that simple. I straight up say to people, "You're awesome. Do you want to be friends?" We'll laugh about how we're 'rushing into things' but how that's what life's about, right? I've been doing this since 2008. Over the past 10 years, I've bumped into strangers, asked them to be my friends, and they're all still around; they've become roommates, bridesmaids and pen-pals. Most people don't bite - they're actually looking for friends too and they'll be really grateful you asked first. //Cha