Keri has remained a true best friend over the years and just like any successful relationship, we've grown together and alongside one another throughout the different stages of our life. As part of my wedding speech when Keri got married, I said she always walked to the beat of her own drum and I think that was what I was so strongly drawn to when we became really close in high school (after having survived the awkward middle school years together and PE domination in elementary school). Keri had a spark about her, an indifference to mainstream thinking that was contagious, and together we built our own social circle and values (romance novels on youth group trips to really cover the moral spectrum) and Friday night activities (who wouldn't want to swing at the park in lieu of parties?).
Despite her questionable decision to move to Ohio (instead of, I dunno, letting me visit at the University of Hawaii), distance didn't slow our friendship down one bit. In fact, it almost seemed like we did go to the same college, as Keri was an honorary Cal Polyian since she spent as much time there as she could when she was back in California, giving us priceless time to rope swing (why were we always swinging??) and take Disneyland by storm and practice our poker skills. And besides, distance let me be there via voicemail the first time she went out drinking ("I can't feel my ears!") and her first winter in Ohio ("I think it has somehow snowed salt on the sidewalks!"). She continued her tour of domination after college, working hard and globally to earn her PhD in Physical Therapy, while somehow always finding time for our friendship and wanderlusty ways.
We traveled Europe together (both after college and when I lived there), watched World Cup games and played with lion cubs in South Africa, and gained an almost equal level of excitement over planning these trips as actually taking them (almost). Keri is loyal, silly, dedicated, insightful (just ask to see her white board) and passionate, all of which make her an amazing friend and force to be reckoned with (I'm looking at you, internet). When little girls grow up and think about who they want to marry, I was thinking about who I wanted as my Matron of Honor, and Keri was always the one (I just hope she's trolled during her MOH speech like I was).
Despite her questionable decision to move to Ohio (instead of, I dunno, letting me visit at the University of Hawaii), distance didn't slow our friendship down one bit. In fact, it almost seemed like we did go to the same college, as Keri was an honorary Cal Polyian since she spent as much time there as she could when she was back in California, giving us priceless time to rope swing (why were we always swinging??) and take Disneyland by storm and practice our poker skills. And besides, distance let me be there via voicemail the first time she went out drinking ("I can't feel my ears!") and her first winter in Ohio ("I think it has somehow snowed salt on the sidewalks!"). She continued her tour of domination after college, working hard and globally to earn her PhD in Physical Therapy, while somehow always finding time for our friendship and wanderlusty ways.
We traveled Europe together (both after college and when I lived there), watched World Cup games and played with lion cubs in South Africa, and gained an almost equal level of excitement over planning these trips as actually taking them (almost). Keri is loyal, silly, dedicated, insightful (just ask to see her white board) and passionate, all of which make her an amazing friend and force to be reckoned with (I'm looking at you, internet). When little girls grow up and think about who they want to marry, I was thinking about who I wanted as my Matron of Honor, and Keri was always the one (I just hope she's trolled during her MOH speech like I was).
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