amanda

This blog post is dedicated to my very good friend Amanda who is leaving on an LDS mission

TOMORROW!! 

I am going to miss her while she is away for a year and half, but I am oh so excited for all the lives she is going to change in Brazil!

Amanda and I go way back. Way back to my first day spent in Hong Kong. 

I remember finding out that we were hotel room buddies

which was a huge relief to me because out of all the girls in our huge group, I thought we would get along the best. :)

Well. As fate would have it, this was only sort of true. Even though we had a lot in common and hung out with the same people in Hong Kong, we just didn't quite grasp the friendship that I thought and hoped we would. 

When it came time to leave Hong Kong and travel with our smaller groups to a new city, I felt really lonely. The two people that I got along with were in a different group and saying goodbye to them was hard. I  felt like I didn't have any friends to share the next 4 months with.

Well. These feelings continued for another month or so.

 But Amanda was nice to me. Here's a picture that means a lot to me:

We were vacationing in Beijing and I felt like nobody wanted to get any pictures with me or cared about me. I think Amanda could tell, so she whipped out her camera and took this picture. It made me feel a little better. (It's a little sad how lonely I felt, but don't worry... this story has a happy ending!)

After about 2 and a half months spent in China, a miracle occurred... Amanda and I communicated! (Oh how I love that word!) We told each other how we felt and we really got to know each other. Then slowly, but surely we became really good friends. I think the following pictures explain why:

Face masks late at night

getting our hair done

family portraits?

hahah. we had WAY too much fun with these

getting ready for a Chinese "cool" party 

Talk-Like-A-Pirate day

Pizza!!

and hosting a birthday party

After leaving China, our friendship and adventures continued.

If you are lucky enough to have met Amanda and be her friend

then you know that she is:

hilarious!

passionate about the people she loves

abnormally gifted at remembering everything about you and anyone and everyone you care about as well

strong (she has overcome some tough stuff in her life)

fun! (I am never ever bored with that girl)

and someone you never want to lose as a friend

I mean it when I say I'm a lucky girl to have her as a friend. 

I'm seriously so proud of her and I can't wait to hear about all of her mission adventures.

here's us at her mission farewell :)

I love you Manders!