Winter Adventure

Dear World,

Thanks for being awesome. Really.

Ice skating was an absolute blast. The next two days were just as fantastic.

Now. Here comes one of those inevitable times where it's handy to know that only select people will ever read this blog. To all you favored readers, what's said in this blog stays in this blog. (Or between us, or whatever.)

This is what goes through my mind as I rush across the ice.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a figure balanced on the ice, trying not to fall as he is lying in wait. I clutch the stolen knit cap in my beanie pocket and grin with giddy glee. Picking up speed, I fly past other skaters, closer, closer still. And then we collide. My sleeve is snatched and I whip around at the speed of light. He pins my arms and squeezes me tightly from behind in an awkward hug. I pretend to try and squirm free, while secretly in heavenly bliss at the fact that this is probably the closest I'll ever be to him. He makes desperate grabs at my hoodie pocket for the beanie, but I elude him and streak out of his grip to the other side of the rink. The chase continues off and on until the end of the trip, when he admits that he didn't want to tackle me again and risk slamming me once again down on the ice. I want so badly to admit that I didn't mind in the least.

Ah, winter.
The adventures continued the next day. The lovely Coree called my house at 9:45am, proposing a trip to a great offbase park. A day followed that will remain in my adventurous daydreams forever. We, along with the ever-present Sarah and Cody, romped through jungle terrain, down huge rollerslides, and through jungle-gym netting of Japanese playgrounds. At a balmy 73 degrees, it did NOT feel like winter. So we headed down to the Kinser docks. Between portapotty hunting and construction-dodging, just getting to the end of the 30-foot concrete docks was an adventure in itself. Sarah and Cody leaping off the huge docks into the waves below was just the icing on the cake.

The best part?

After months of seeing creative and fun-filled photos on Facebook, I admit. I was jealous. All 3 of them have had plenty of photoshoot adventures, and it doesn't help that Sarah's camera makes everyone look flawless somehow.

And it's always only Sarah and Coree, or occasionally Sarah and Cody, that ever, EVER get to be in these legendary photos.
It's like an unspoken code, or club, or something. To be included in any adventure-y photo with these people felt like an honor or something. I felt, for the first time in a while, accepted.
Included.
Loved.
Valued.

The past few days have been great.