California Dreamin'

Over break I got to (finally) visit my dear friend Lauren Haney in Visalia, California! IT HAD BEEN FAR TOO LONG. I missed this chick. As a bonus, my friend from my English classes Kailyn went and visited her on the same days and I got to hang out/get to know her better as well (she is like awesome already at being a grownup...watch out publishing world, she is coming to conquer you). It was wonderful to spend a week with girls who are thinking on the same life wavelength as me.

Kailyn, Lauren, and yours truly. Braving the elements to bring this picture to you. 

Let me tell you a little something about Lauren Haney. She is badass, in my opinion. I met her as a freshman on the soccer team at Trinity Christian College when she was a sophomore. She was an RA, OPC kid, east-coaster, fiercely independent, involved in everything, and possessed probably too much confidence for a nineteen-year-old. But, alas, she pulled it off. She has been such a blessing to me. She's the one who took me out for pancakes after my little freshman-in-college heart was broken by some guy and told me that I'd be happy it didn't work out. (She was right.) She's the one who refused to accept that it was winter and made her dorm look like a surf shack year round. She's the one who wore soccer clothes erry stinking day of college and then BAM turns into a glamatron when she graduated college (yet she was a knockout either way). She is just an original. Her insight, advice, and perspective has been invaluable to me at some very important junctures in my college life and beyond. To me, she is equal parts hilarious, intelligent, inspirational, and blonde. I could go on, but it's 9:50 and in a teacher's world that is late night stuff. Now just let's all scheme a way to get her to move to Chicago. Here are some snapshots of the time we three got to spend together.

Literally though. After 7 hours in an airport and no food all night, I commemorated
this momentous meal on the wall of a pizzeria in LA.

Although the weather did not really cooperate, (ummm 35 degrees and raining and cloudy? THANKS CALI. 'PRECIATE IT.) we got to fit in a fair amount of goodness. We did the LA/Beverly Hills/Wine Tasting/Classy thing the first weekend, and then spent the second half of the trip in full blown hick paradise. Lauren is dating a dairy farmer, so we spent some time touring the dairy farm, riding in the back of demolition derby cars, and ringing in the new year in a barn. What a life I lead.

Moo. 

Mountains! I am starting to get the urge to live by mountains someday.