Thursday Chatter

I met four of my very best friends in college.  Kendra, Rachel, Jo, and Julie.

Here's how we know each other:

Kendra and Rachel went to high school together.

I met Kendra on my dorm floor freshman year of college.

Jo and Rachel met as counselors at summer camp.

Rachel and Julie had the same major.

Rachel, Julie, and I all went to England together.

And we became friends with our friends' friends!

We have also lived together in the following combinations:

Kendra + Valerie

Rachel + Kendra (+ 2 others)

Jo + Kendra + Rachel

Rachel + Kendra

Julie + Rachel + Valerie (+ 6 others)

Kendra + Julie + Rachel + Valerie

Valerie + Julie

However, now, we all live in 5 different cities in 3 different states (although two of us are just a suburb away from each other), and sometimes it's hard to keep up.  I can't just fly over to Oklahoma to watch The Bachelorette together on Monday nights, you know?  (Someday, when I have my own jet, things will be different.)  Life in your own little world gets in the way, and sometimes you suddenly realize that somehow weeks have gone by without even a text to one of your favorite people.  But we have a solution:  

Thursday Chatter!

Every Thursday, we all write an e-mail updating each other on what went on in our lives in the past week.  It's the easiest possible way to stay up-to-date on everybody's day-to-day and still feel connected.  I may not have been to Julie's house for over a year now, but I know what color her kitchen is painted!  I know Rachel's birthday plans, even though I can't be there to celebrate!  I'm glad I don't have Jo's job, but I love her crazy stories about it!  I feel like I know all the couples in Kendra's small group, even though I've never met them!

And in between all those e-mails, we've tried to be with each other in real life for the important stuff:  master's degrees, marriages, moving, and of course, our annual Girls' Trip.

If you have a group of girlfriends that major life changes are about to separate you from, I highly suggest starting a Thursday Chatter of your own.  We're going on three years strong, and I think I can speak for all of us that Thursdays are one of my favorite days of the week :)