#july2009

Dearest Ana,

Maybe I shouldn’t call it the aftermath. It sounds like some disaster that just went through, but honestly it was the best thing in my life. I just spent an entire week with you. My parents came and picked me up from the church shortly after you pulled out in your van. It was sad saying goodbye to you but I definitely still had your number written on a piece of paper. We weren’t allowed our phones on the trip, so I had to keep it with me until I could get it in my phone.

My family had a nice vacation for the rest of the week on the east coast. I remember that I couldn’t wait long enough to talk to you so I was talking to you on my Mom’s phone instead. You didn’t know that I was still on the east coast but I didn’t know if you wanted to see me again at that time. I guess I could have asked, but we weren’t super close to Middletown except to drive through. I would have loved to see you again. The entire trip there wasn’t supposed to be any “purpling” but if I saw you outside of the trip... I probably would have stolen your first kiss right then and there.

We texted so much the next month. I knew what was happening, and I knew where this was going. I was falling in love with you. So I told you, and you said you were in love with me too, and it was the best damn day of my life. I didn’t know what the future held for us, being over a thousand miles away, but my god if it involved you I would be so happy. We did this for years and years, talking nearly every day, through school, out of school, when my phone died using my moms. We became best friends, and that was the best. I could talk to you about everything and anything because you were my best friend.

Yours, forever and always,

Dearest Ana,

That entire week we barely spent time apart. Our group did kids club for two days, and it was your favorite thing ever. The kids being around were the best thing and you were always so good with them. I remember playing kickball with you and a few other of the people that came along on the trip and just a ton of kids. Just like you could watch me when I played the piano, I could watch you when you were active with the kids. You were so happy and I was so happy that you were happy.

The other events that we did as a group were to go to a few elderly residences. I remember this one so particularly because you sat next to me when I played the piano for the people. They might have loved it, but I know that you loved it more.

The last rotation that we did had us in a school. Honestly this is probably the only time we were separated in our groups, I remember going off to paint a hallway and you were tasked with doing something else. Here you are in all of your lovely brace faced glory.

This trip was so magical because I got to meet you and be with you nearly every second for a week. I’ve always wanted to go back to Lynn with you and just tour everywhere that we went that week, everything that we did between working and the time that we spent not working, in the square, on the beach. I think we definitely need to take a vacation there very, very soon.

Yours, forever,