A Whole Decade.

Twice in a span of about 10 days I was able to spend time with people I've known for close to or more than a decade.  What a weird way to say how long you've known someone.  Typically it's a "oh we met in 9th grade English" or "we've known each other forever".  Putting that descriptor of decade onto a friendship is odd but pretty cool.  And when you've known someone that long, it's easy to see how much you have grown and changed since that first summer or event together.

Camp friends!

The first occasion was a Braves game on a Wednesday because we could.  A friend from home and camp recently finished Ranger school nearby and suggested we get to a game before he moves onto the next post.  A casual idea of a few people going to see a game turned into 19 of us from all over settling into some great outfield seats - thank goodness for military discounts!   Some people were home people, some camp, some Auburn, some new Atlanta friends I've only known for a few months, and others were brand new friends.  It was great to catch up with the people I hadn't seen in a while, meet new people, and see the Braves win a ball game!

850 represent - Lincoln, Leon, and Chiles c/o 2010. 

The second occasion was a quick visit with a friend headed to home from school in New Jersey.  We've known each other since the summer before my junior year of high school and it was such a blessing to have him visit.  I had my last kickball game of the season so got to show off my mad second base skills and then we grabbed dinner with a friend on the team.  The evening was spent catching up and watching T Swift music videos (not even a little sorry he was subjected to this).

Tricked the Florida fan into an Auburn shirt!

These kind of evenings are a huge reason I'm thankful to be in a big city that is relatively central to most people in my life.  The random visits with people travelling and the overwhelming amount of people that come here for work make a huge place seem much smaller.  While it may be a long time before I get to see some of these people again, a decade of friendship means we are always able to pick up right where we left off.  Who knows at what occasion we'll be catching up at next but I'm already looking forward to it.