So rare, it's bleeding on you.

I often think about the time that my mind spends being 'blown.'

And it blows my mind.

This may sound vain, or narcissistic-- but my life is so interesting to me. The ins and outs, the oddities and circumstances, and the way it all just... flows... even when the flowing motion seems to be against the tide.

Five years ago I met a 16 year old boy with dark eyes, and a dark complextion. I was 15 years old-- a shy, almost-sophomore, ready for the next stage in my life. I remember the night as if it were yesterday-- the bongos that Shelby and I played somewhat abashedly, the guitar and vocal performance from Lj and Billy, Renee's delicious chocolate chip cookies, Shipley's kidney, the boys' haka and slap dances, the hugs hello and goodbye...

I often think back on that night. That Summer, I was scheduled to go to a soccer camp at SUU. The camp was pretty much mandatory, so if I wanted to play, I had to go. However, a few weeks before the camp, after payments had already been made, I decided I wasn't going. I decided, instead, to focus on my music, my piano lessons and my vocal lessons. I guess I thought I couldn't do both.

The week of the camp arrived, and instead of physically wearing myself to a point of utter exhaustion every day, I found my self in Renee's living room playing the bongos (somewhat abashedly) with some cute boys, eating chocolate chip cookies, and watching the haka and the slapdance in amazement.

Now fast forward 5 years in the future. Just this morning, I stepped off of a plane. This plane originated in Philadelphia-- 45 minutes from the place that our dark-haired boy grew up: Mt. Laurel, New Jersey.

I just returned home from a week-long trip with this dark-haired boy's family. Except, now they aren't just his family, but mine also. I love his brothers like I love my brothers. I love his sister in a way that dictates we spent our entire childhoods doing each other's hair and painting each other's nails. We could hardly contain our laughter as we watched old home videos, played scattergories and bananagrams, ate endless amounts of food, snowboarded and skiied, stayed up until 4 AM chatting about life... and just... being TOGETHER.

I have fallen in love with this family that I had never heard of 5 years ago. Over those five years, my life has been changed drastically, and I attribute the vast majority of that change to the warm summer night spent in Renee's living room.

Today, January 5th 2009, there are 7 months and 2 days until Lj gets home.

And I'm still here.

Coincidence?

I think that's as coincidental as me missing soccer camp Summer of '04.