Summer of Love

I have a friend called Layla who I have known for 15 years. She is a wonderful and special soul and an amazing friend. We've been through a lot together. And I'm so grateful to the universe for bringing us together.

We met on our first day of living on campus at uni together. She was living at Deakin College, I was in Barton College. The local pub was "The Ponds". Somehow (the details are shady) on the first night after having been to the pub we stumbled upon one another and we were both wearing connies (Chuck Taylors) and decided that if 2 chicks wearing connies from different walks of life randomly run into each other on campus then we are destined to be friends. And that we were. We became such fast friends it made my head spin. And not only did we hang out at uni but Layla came home to Melbourne with me many weekends and became part of my family. That year we grew up together. There was so much laughter and tears and drunken debauchery. Gherkins and steak Diannes. S-bends and M-bends. Slurries. Tennessee Mist. If it was something ridiculous, I guarantee that Layla and I did it. I just can't put into words how much our friendship changed me and helped shape my life. We only went the Deakin Waurn Ponds together for one year, but it feels like so much longer. But after that one year it didn't matter where either of us lived or what we did. We were still as bonded as glue and paper. Forever.

So fast forward several years later and Layla meets and marries a handsome German fellow living in Melbourne. They decide to live in Germany for a few years after getting married before settling down in Melbourne to start a family. This summer Layla and Mario came back for Christmas and New Years for a short visit and also said that they were looking for a house to buy for when they came home for good in around September 2011. They are looking for said house in a neighbourhood not far from me, which means that when they come home we can have out of date cake together every single day if we want to!

I drove Layla and Mario out to the airport today for their long long flight back to Germany. As I type this at 3:25pm, their plane is just about to take off. I fought back tears as I unloaded their bags and said my goodbyes again. And you know what today's blessing is?? In 9 short months Layla will be living here. In Melbourne. Just around the corner from me. So while I've missed her dreadfully over the last 2 years and will continue to miss her while Germany claims her for the next 9 months, after that she's home. And I won't need to miss her anymore.