The Time Chicago Foolishly Tested Our Commitment to Friendship

Throughout our lives we make lots of different friends. Not all of these friendships stick, which is okay because we grow and learn from them.

But some friendships are real sticky, in a good way.

I’ve written about some of my sticky friendships before, because I’m low key obsessed with these beautiful people who actively choose to spend time with me. This will be another friendship dedicated post, but with less confusing examples and more inconvenient fires.

I’ll Be There For You, When the Rain Starts To Pour

Glen entered into a leadership development program at work right after college and the friends he met in that program ended up becoming some of the most important people in our lives. Like “sing at our wedding ceremony” level important. Like “emergency contact” level important.

We’ve scattered around the country a bit over the past 10 years but they are all still drop everything and be there type friends. The universe must have heard me say that out loud once and thought I was just talking a big game, so when Jerel and Margaret got married in Chicago three years ago it found its chance to say “prove it.”

I Don’t Care How You Get Here, Just Get Here If You Can

A few hours before our flight from Boston to Chicago our phones started buzzing and beeping like crazy because there was a fire at Chicago Air Traffic Control. Okay fine, get a fire extinguisher and put that sucker out, Chicago. But I guess it was kind of a big deal so both Chicago airports were completely shut down.

After a couple frustrating hours on the phone with every airline in North America we found out that the closest we were getting to Chicago by plane was basically Hartford, Connecticut.

I didn’t mention I was 5 months pregnant at this time did I? That’s relevant because while we were calling airports I was simultaneously googling, “is it fine to drive for 18 hours while pregnant?” and getting extremely skeptical texts from my friend who had already flown into Chicago the day prior/is a licensed medical professional.

But we had to get to this wedding. These are ain’t no mountain high enough friends. Ain’t no fire hot enough friends. We were driving.

Interesting facts from this spur of the moment road trip:

Indiana is home to the RV Hall of Fame. We couldn’t stop because we had a wedding to get to, but good to know it’s there.

They sell a sandwich at a rest stop somewhere between Boston and Chicago that has Spam as the main ingredient. And it got prime menu placement. I didn’t buy it, which was the right decision.

If you ever have to drive 18 hours while pregnant consider a catheter.

We still didn’t see a Delaware license plate, leading me to believe that Delaware doesn’t actually exist.

If You Need Me Call Me, No Matter Where You Are

Yet again proving that we would do excellent on The Amazing Race, Glen and I made it to Chicago with a few hours to spare before wedding bells started ringing.

The wedding was beautiful. I cried at least 7 times. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. And so help me if there was a fire at Chicago Air Traffic Control and Jerel and Margaret were renewing their vows, well… I’d probably FaceTime in this time around. It’s just a vow renewal and you two have only been married for a few years.

That seems a little unnecessary.

We Get By With a Little Help From Our Friends

At it’s heart, this is a story about about friendship, showing up, and RV Hall of Fames.

The big takeaways for you, since maybe you don’t know Jerel and Margaret and they didn’t sing at YOUR wedding, relationships matter. They matter a whole heap.

I don’t know that I would be able to hop in a car right now with my two kids in tow and drive halfway across the country. But I can get on a Zoom call with these beautiful people and let off some steam after a long week. It’s not the same, but it still does something good for the soul.

If you’re drowning in a sea of “do all the things” right now, see if you can carve out an hour for your buds. I won’t even make you turn this into one of the networking opportunities I love so dearly, this is pure fun and beverages. I know for a fact you’ll be so glad you did. I’m pretty sure your super sticky friends will be glad you did too.