17 June 2007

the adventure is about to begin...

Hi! I am writing from Stuttgart, Germany where I have been visiting Katie!!! We have been having the best time. Yesterday we went hiking in the Black Forrest, and it was sooooo beautiful. Tomorrow I begin the trek to Kigoma, Tanzania and I couldn't be more ready. I was able to speak to Derek on the phone today, and it was wonderful to hear his voice and know that it will only be 2 more days until I will be SEEING his face!!! YAYYY!!

Anyways, I just wanted to make a quick post before I head into the great unknown! Haha.

Love Mel

11 June 2007

friends like family

Tonight was my last night here in San Francisco for a long time. We had dinner at Ryan, Keelan and Brad's house, and we sat around talking and having a good time all evening. It really was a shame that I was (and still am) so exhausted! The point of this is to say, I love our friends here so dearly. In this time that Derek has been away, as weird and hard that has been, I've found that the people I'm with really do love me, and I really do love them. They've all been my support, and I know that I would have been one very, very sad girlfriend whose boyfriend is 934729834 miles away without them. Yes, I was sad, but they definitely helped me through it with their love. During these 2 (ish) months I've grown so much closer to all of them, especially Darian. We had the time to spend together and had a lot of amazing conversations.

To everyone here in San Francisco...I love you all so much, and I know Derek does as well. I'm pretty sure that as much as we're going to be enjoying what we're doing over there, nothing will be home compared to our home in SF. We're all like a happy family...I couldn't ask for too much more!!

Anyways, enough of the cheesy blah blah stuff. I just wanna say thanks. You're all incredible.

And also, thanks to my actual biological family (and Derek's!!) for everything...Jeff, Chris, Hanna & Libby, Lon & Carla (+ the rest of my fam in Florida)...You're amazing and wonderful and I'm so thankful for you all!!! It's great to have family close by.


Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I'll be reporting back from Africa!!

Love,
Mel