Finland, Finland, Finland

I usually try to use song lyrics for my post titles, so thank you Monty Python for writing the song that gave me today's post title :)

I have been crazy busy this summer and won't even try to catch up on everything I've done - camping, cottaging, Rosalie's wedding, visiting both sets of parents - I haven't been home more than a few days at a time since the end of June. But I will tell you about last weekend.

I spent last weekend in Ottawa with four of the best friends I've ever had or will ever have. Daphne, Ismail, Darren, Monica and I met 15 years ago as Rotary Youth Exchange students in Finland. We were all sent to live in or near Oulu, Finland, which is just slightly south of the Arctic Circle. It was north, it was dark, it was cold, it was an absolutely amazing year. When we came home we tried to keep in touch (most of us, anyway) and we saw each other a few times in various configurations, but never all together, and eventually we just sort of drifted apart. A couple of years ago, Darren decided to find us all again, and wonder of wonders, pulled it off! We started trying to plan for a reunion and it finally came together this summer. Daphne lives in California now, and Ismail and Monica are in Oregon, and they all flew into Buffalo last weekend. I picked them up and we drove to Ottawa, where Darren is now.

It is CRAZY how we just picked up where we left off 14 years ago. We've grown up, gotten married, come out, gotten divorced, finished school, started careers, but when we got together we were as close as we were then, like we'd never lost touch. We spend most of the weekend on Darren's back porch, reminiscing and catching up, but also discussing all kinds of things. It's just amazing to me how we all just came together like we never lost touch, how we could all still say anything, and how all 5 of us could still have that incredible bond. I expected to still share it with Daphne, because I was closest to her and we've never really lost touch, but for 5 people to have that 14 years later with minimal contact in the intervening 14 years is, to me, mind boggling.

That reunion was one of the best ideas you've ever had, Darren. I'm SO glad we made it work. I hereby pledge not to let another 14 years go by without seeing everyone again, and to keep in better touch with everyone. I love you guys.