Adventures Make Great Friendships

Not many things can silence the combo of Claire and Shay, unless you're talking about severe weather. 

Typically we will talk about anything and everything from the moment we see each other until we go to bed.  We email during the day, even, and  when we're together, there's always a running commentary about life, usually with Gilmore Girls in the background.

I used to laugh at the tornado sirens going off around us.  But after the last few weeks of tornado weather hitting the U.S., that laughter came to a halt. 

After dinner at Uncle Julio's to catch up (we always have to plan a date!), we went back to our apartment and began watching Biggest Loser, only to be interrupted by countless weather reports.  I could hear the sirens going off at this point, too. 

I told Claire I thought we should go to our gym's bathrooms at the apartment complex, since we don't live on the first floor.  When the weather reports showed we should really take cover, I looked at Claire and said, "Grab anything you think is important to you,"  and we were out the door in three minutes flat. 

We each had a bag--Claire with her Bible and her school stuff, an umbrella and a snack. (Man, she was so prepared!)  Me with my Bible, computer, my wedding planning notebook and an Iowa sweatshirt I stole from Adam.  It was kind of freeing to know that we could leave most everything else and be just fine.  (And it also made me question the reason why I have so much stuff...but that's another thought all together. )

The sky wasn't too dark yet, and on our way walking to the gym, passing by our rather unfriendly/creepy neighbor, I asked Claire if she just wanted to go over to my parents' house.  We thought that might be a more cozy option than the bathroom floor of an apartment gym, and it looked as if we still had some time before the storm got really bad.

The five-minute drive was nearly silent, the sky turning greener by the second.  The rain wasn't too bad, but there was a sense of urgency.  It seemed like every car I passed was in my way.  The silence was accompanied by my own pounding heart, racing to get us to a safe place.

The only other time we've been that silent was when we drove out in the ice in February.  Now that I'm writing this, I'm sort of questioning my sanity, as I choose the oddest time to drive places. But those are what make them adventures, and it's going through instances like this that make you friends.