Goodbye, Sarah

Today marks the departure of my dear friend Sarah, who is making the big move from Nashville to Mansfield, TX, to begin a new chapter in her life. While I am excited for what the future holds for her, I am not smiling. I am sad to see her go.

Sarah and I met several years ago when I made a solo trip out to Nashville to check out the city. I didn’t know anyone here, and thought, “Who am I going to hang out with?” I proceeded to browse through MySpace profiles of people living in Nashville, came across hers, and thought that she seemed cool.

(How did I ever make friends before the internet?)

She listed chips & salsa and margaritas in her interests, had good taste in music, and was wearing a t-shirt from the Murfreesboro Testicle Festival in her profile picture (“I had a ball!”). I pulled the clumsy move of sending her an email that included the line, “I’m not creepy, I’m not socially awkward, I don’t own any cats, I’m not a prude, I’m not a ho-bag… I’m mostly just trying to decide what to do with my life, and if I end up in Nashville I’d like to hang out with you!”

And because she rules, she agreed. We met, blind date style, at the Bluebird Café, and bonded over baked brie and good music. Eventually, she came to visit me in Seattle, and our friendship was solidified.

I can honestly say that I would not be living in Nashville today were it not for her. Her consistent encouragement and support gave me the confidence to finally make the move. She set me up with a place to stay for my first 6-weeks in town, introduced me to new friends, and even gave me her old microwave. She has been a true friend, one who has made all the difference in my own life, and an instrumental person in my journey. Now, she is courageously embarking on her own adventure – leaving all that is comfortable, and moving to an unfamiliar place. My prayer is that a friend will come alongside her, just as she came alongside me.

Today marks the beginning of a new era for me: life in Nashville without Sarah. But we will always have this picture (which is the ONLY picture of us together – how can that be possible?):

To be fair, I’ll post a picture of me looking super hot. When it comes to making bad faces, I’m pretty sure that Sarah wins the “most beautiful bad face” award.

Happy trails, friend. I miss you already.