Staying in Touch

I'm a firm believer that relationships are work, whether they are romantic relationships or friendships. But I don't think that's a bad thing. In fact, I actually think the opposite. I think it's a really good thing. If you're working on a relationship, it means that you're making sure that you stay a part of that person's life. For example, ever since Kelsey moved away, we've been keeping in touch with each other. We mostly talk through text messages but there have also been phone calls as well as Face-time chats. I even went to go visit her new place in Kentucky a few months ago. (Click here to read about it). We've talked about trying to take another vacation together some time in the future as well. We're always talking and keeping each other up-to-date on what's going on in our lives. To me, that shows me just how important I am to her and vice versa. Even though we now live over 1,000 miles away from each other, we're still doing our best to maintain our friendship and make sure that it's just as strong as ever. To me, that's true friendship. We aren't letting the distance come between us.

I understand that life goes on and people get busy. It's not practical to think that I'll be in constant communication with my friends and I don't. That goes for my other friends as well. I still consider myself friends with many of the people that I left behind when I moved out of Florida. We talk when we can and meet up whenever I come down for a visit.

But it really shows me how close Kelsey and I are because we are still making that effort to be there for each other. And I know that we always will. I have no doubt that if I called her at 2 a.m. and told her that I needed her that she'd figure out a way to be there for me. And she knows that I would do the same for her in a heartbeat.

I still miss her like crazy every day and life hasn't been the same since she left. There is nobody that can ever replace her. And it feels really good to know that she's still my best friend and that she's still there for me no matter what. When people move away, most of the time they promise to keep in touch with the people that they leave behind. In my opinion, it's a rarity and a gift when they come through on those promises. I'm so appreciative that I found someone that did. I always knew that Kelsey was a special friend and that I was blessed to have her in my life. Her effort to hold onto our friendship proves that I was right.

-Chelsea

Thankful Thursday

I've always been really thankful for what I have and I do have a lot to be thankful for. Those thankful feelings are magnified around the holidays and I think that it's important to acknowledge what I'm thankful for.

My family- My family is always there for me, no matter what. They are loving, passionate, caring and thoughtful people and I am so blessed to have them in my life. I've always felt lucky to be a part of this family and I know that I always will. I love my family more than anything in the world and couldn't imagine my life without them. I am so thankful to know them and to have had them to teach me about life, the real world, the true meaning of family and myself.

My husband- Kris and I have had a crazy 5 years together (2 years married) and I can't believe that it's been that long. Time has flown by and I couldn't imagine spending my life with anyone else. We have a special bond that I've never felt with anyone else. He makes me feel loved and special. I'm so thankful that we found each other and that we've made the commitment to spend our lives together. I welcome whatever adventures find us in the future.

Kelsey- Kelsey and I have a friendship that is stronger than any friendship I've ever had. Even though she moved away, she is still my closest friend and our friendship is stronger than ever. She always finds a way to push me out of my comfort zone and makes me feel better about myself. I'm a better person for knowing her and she's absolutely irreplaceable in my life.

This is only a small glimpse into what I'm thankful for. I'm saving the rest for upcoming posts! Until then, happy Thankful Thursday!

What are you thankful for?

-Chelsea

Putting Myself Out There

I've always been someone that has had a low self-esteem and is super shy. Because of that, it makes it extremely hard to put myself out there and takes risks. Ever since Kelsey moved away, I've had to make adjustments, which to be honest, has been kind of difficult for me. When she lived here, we were inseparable. We didn't need anybody else because we had each other and that was more than enough.

But because she moved away, I've had to start over and try to find ways to make new friends. Honestly, that's never been something that I was good at. I grew up in a small town, the type of place where everybody knew everybody. I had no reason to put myself out there because everyone knew each other. Even then, I still clung to my two closest friends. I'm the type of person that likes only having a few key friends. I like having strong bonds with a few, select people but that's just my personal preference.

I knew that Kelsey's leaving would hit me hard but I didn't realize just how hard. She was such an amazing friend that it's weird to think about trying to replace her, even though I know that I can't really "replace" her. So I've had no choice but to put myself out there and try to meet some new people. That's always scary because you're allowing yourself to either be accepted or rejected by other people. And even though I've tried to make it work with some girls, it hasn't worked out in my favor. I was starting to get discouraged but I knew that I had to keep trying and not give up. I knew that eventually, things would get better.

And they have. I've met two girls recently that I really like and I could see us being really great friends. I haven't known them for very long but we're constantly texting and we're planning on getting together once one of them comes home from vacation. It's been hard and to be honest, the few times that meeting people didn't go well kind of bruised my ego but in the end, it'll be worth it. These things take time but that's okay, as long as I keep trying and keep putting myself out there.

-Chelsea