Shelter From the Storm

My friend Amanda and I recently went out to celebrate our ten-year friendaversary (it's a thing, I swear). We met the first day of college and have been best friends ever since. For our date, we went out for dinner and then saw St. Vincent. I was excited to see the movie (Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy...I mean, really), but the level the movie touched me was unexpected. It wasn't groundbreaking or jaw dropping or awe inspiring. The concept was not new - a weird band of misfits form an unlikely family. Got it. Check. We've seen all that before. However, this movie was real. It explored the themes of family and friendship, but did so in a way that felt entirely relateable. When I'm still thinking about it over a week later, that's the mark of a good movie in my mind. I will also give props to the musical geniuses behind the soundtrack - it's freaking awesome and the last scene of the movie was absolute perfection. 

I spent most of the summer/fall commuting between the city and the northland. As the weather changes, I struggle with living so far (disclaimer: I fully acknowledge 3 hours isn't that bad) from my family. As a kid, I was surrounded by family every single day - my Grandpa picked me up from school; my cousins and I grew up almost like siblings, spending as much time at each other's houses as we could; aunts and uncles were just a hop, skip, and a jump away. I'm beyond thankful my sister's family lives in the metro. Unfortunately, it's not logistically practical to run down to Shakopee for dinner or a visit that's less than a few hours. I miss the daily connections. I miss my family. 

Enter my merry band of weirdos. I'm an introvert, but not a typical one. People exhaust me and I require an obscene amount of alone time. However, I also really need people - not just any people, though. MY people. I need the people who are loyal to the core, tell you when you have salad in your teeth, when your outfit is crap, and when your hair looks like you stuck a finger in the light socket. I need the people who give real truth (even when it sucks to hear), bring you ice cream when you're sick, sad, mad (is there really any emotion that doesn't require ice cream??), move heaven and earth to participate in emergency lunch dates when life has gone to hell in a hand basket, hug you when you need it (and when you don't), and give you shit so your head doesn't get too big. I need the people who make you laugh until you cry, love you when you're unlovable, always know what you're talking about even when you don't form sentences or use real words, and are always up for spontaneous dance parties. 

I realized in the past week that I am surrounded by family every day. Because the amazing thing is, family comes in many forms. I have the people who, in the absence of my actual family, have taken up the mantle and become my home, my shelter, my rocks. I will still miss my family when I'm not with them, but home really is wherever my bunch of crazies are. And I have the best pack of crazies a girl could ever ask for. They are my shelter from the storm.