Lauren Comes Home Today a.k.a. A GLORIOUS DAY

This girl right here (<---) comes home today from spending some time in China with PY. It's been TEN days since we've hung out. TEN days since we got to talk on the phone. Now for some of you, this may not seem like a big deal but take into consideration that Lauren is my person. For example, when my drink from Starbucks is extra delicious, I call her to tell her that. And the best? She is STOKED for me (and a little jealous if hers was not of the same quality that morning). If I need to take a little break time from work, I'll send her an email communicating just in clip-art (it's pretty much become a competition now and she currently owns the title of "Best Use of Clip-Art in an Email" but I plan on getting that title back this week.) When we're out (and if our hair in the same color), people always think we are sisters (which I take as a huge compliment). When I saw her number light up on my caller i.d. just a few moments ago (calling from her layover in San Fran), my face lit-up just as it did on Valentine's Day when I opened my box of candy from Bear to see Cadbury Mini Eggs inside.

(And on a side-note, I usually like to keep these things private but I do have to give a special thank you to Bear for really coming through on Valentine's Day. The previously mentioned Cadbury Mini Eggs, the beautiful necklace, the roses with accompanying lilies, the cutest-card-ever and dinner at Nora's made for a lovely evening.)

I feel like I have so much to tell her when Gordon and I reunite with her at Starbucks after work. I knew I should have been taking notes. I do know that I already have TWO trips to talk to her about (my travel bug is back with a vengeance, starting with a trip to California this weekend).

Anyone who knows Lauren knows I'm not exaggerating when I say she truly is the nicest person you will ever meet. She is so genuine in who she is and is such a giver. She's got a HUGE brain, great looks and can make me laugh until my stomach hurts. She kicks ass at everything she does (again, not exaggerating), soccer, beer pong, Big Buck Hunter, you name it...she'll take you down. She loves Coca-Cola more than she loves me (she would argue this but it's Ok with me). She has more drive than anyone I've ever met. She owns a beautiful house that I miss living in. She is the girl who picked me up out of the bathtub in a duck costume (the Daisy to my Donald.) She makes the world's best artichoke dip. She is the girl who after my car accident when we were 16, showed up at my door with Ben and Jerry's ice cream. She is an awesome artist. She is the girl that used to take me home in the middle of those great high-school hang out nights at 11:47 (depending on if I got an "extension" or not) and always made sure I was home by curfew. She is organizer of good karma stuff like our habitat for humanity (Corazon to be exact) outing and she has rescued more than one lost animal by bringing it into her home.

Most importantly, she has rescued me on a NUMBER of occasions by being there for me through thick and thin. Thank you, LoBo, for being someone we should all aspire to be. I love you and am so glad you're home. And as mentioned previously on the phone, please do not ever be out of contact for ten days again.

KTHXBAI!