Over the course of a lifetime you meet a ton of people. As the cliché goes; “some come in your life for a moment, for a year, or for a lifetime” Or, to some extent. And it’s true- people filter in and out of our lives but each and every one serves a purpose. As I sit here with a cup of tea, looking at a photo of dear friends and try to sort through the feelings in my heart, I can’t help but smile.

How lucky am I?

From the various paths I have chosen in life, I have been able lucky enough to meet and connect with people all around America and the world. One of my favorite aspects of traveling is falling in love with the places and people I visit.

A few weeks ago, as I was cleaning out my apartment during a massive spring cleaning attack I came across various old photos, ticket stubs and my little black book. I opened the book and started scrolling through the names and addresses. It occurred to me; I have several close friends in various states. I could literally travel to almost any state and find a good friend to stay with. HOW COOL IS THAT?!

Of course, some friends are closer than others but I still thought to myself; how lucky am I? How awesome is this? I have managed to not only make friends all over but also keep in contact with these people. In fact, some of my best and closest friends live miles and states apart. Which, isn’t always the best but thanks to technology we make do.

As summer time rolls around and I start gearing up for the inevitable “summer tours”  and “summer adventures” I get excited mostly because this means I will see my friends more frequently. When I travel and go to shows it’s 30% for the music but mostly for the people and the atmosphere that happens. Most of my beloved friends from around I have met at concerts; specifically DMB. But, to me, going to shows now is more about the people I get to see and spend time with. The fantastic music is just an added bonus. You see, even though I go months on end without seeing some of them, every time we talk or see each other, it’s almost as though no time has passed at all. Those, to me, are the friendships worth keeping.

I often wonder- is this normal? Is it normal to have friends from all over that formed essentially because of a shared love for a band or a shared experience from travel? I quickly shake that thought from my mind. Because frankly, I don’t really care if it’s normal. I think it’s awesome and that’s good enough for me.

I may be naive about a lot of things but one thing I am sure of are the good friends and good people I know. The best relationships are ones that form unexplainably. For whatever the common bond you share with this person or persons it’s special. They help mold you into a better person and perhaps bring out a side of you that needs to be woken. They surprise us and they just work. You don’t have to put in a lot of energy to keep them fun- they work because the two humans have a connection for whatever reason and it’s just plain awesome.