Shout-outs of the Month

I felt really lucky in December to get to see so many of my good friends in such a short amount of time.  Here are a few shout-outs to people who made a lot of effort to squeeze me into their busy pre-holiday schedule.

Shannon - Roommates for two years in college, Shannon and I have remained close friends, even after she moved to New York and I to DC.  In December, she drove all the way down from NY just for a few hours romping on a Saturday night in Georgetown.  True friendship. 

Nicole - Nicci Nicole manages to be my friend on the most serious personal journey for wisdom while simultaneously being the most wise.  Online chats with her got me through a lot of low points before I went home and she always manages to make me feel loved and missed.  We only taught for ten months together when I was in Teach For America (she moved to another school my second year), but she is by far the best friend I made during my time in DC.

Dan - I first met Dan the summer between 7th and 8th grade when he and his uncle Rich, a friend of my dad's, passed through Kerr Lake for a few days.  We found each other again in college and then both happened to live in DC when I moved there for TFA.  Whether acting as a sounding board, or as reinforcements on the dancefloor, Dan is always an awesome kid.  He and his lovely girlfriend Regine were nice enough to come out with us on our tour of Georgetown despite the fact that they now live pretty far out of town.

Cameron -  Cam is actually Alex's friend from way back, but I've been lucky enough to get to know him and his girlfriend over the past two years.  Thanks to him for coming all the way from Maryland on a Monday night before Christmas just to make sure he saw me.  I also owe him thanks for being the person who reads my blog religiously with the least personal obligation to do so.  

Annie - I first met Annie when we taught together at Kettering Middle School.  She went so far above and beyond what can reasonably be expected of co-workers.  She drove into DC each morning to pick me up before I bought a car, would force me to spend some afternoons doing nothing but drinking tea or coffee and talk, and generally saved my ass multiple times.  Her presence as an older, wiser influence in my life has always been welcomed, and I can't thank her enough for always being a true friend.

Our regularly scheduled Shout Out of the Week will resume next week, but I wanted to make sure that I thanked the people who went out of their way to see me during my short time home.  Love you guys!