An Unexpected Walk

In life we experience trials and victories, but what makes it worth it is the people who stay with you for the ups and downs. It's very hard to find people who you connect with and actually enjoy spending time talking to or even being around. We become so attached to these people that we start picking up on little things they do or even say and make it into something that you've "always" said or done. I highly believe that life is made up of little moments that can effect your life in a big way. Even though making friends is hard you never know when you are going to stumble upon these wonderful blessings. I'm going to share the time I found one of my lovely gems to show you how anyone can make a friend anywhere.

I was leaving my house and on the way to the bus stop, yet when I arrived the bus wasn't there so I pulled out a book and began reading. A few minutes past and people started showing up. I didn't feel like getting to school early and waiting around so I decided to walk. I didn't want to walk alone & I didn't have many friends who rode my bus so I asked my eldest brother if he'd walk with me. He said yes and as we were leaving the bus stop I overheard someone complaining about riding the bus and offered for her to walk with us. She contemplated for a minute whether she should come with us, I mean why wouldn't she, we had never spoken before. I needed someone other than my brother to talk to so I told her we were stopping on the way to school and I'd get her a drink. After hearing that, she was sold! We started walking and I introduced my brother and I. She told us her name was Avani. After ten minutes of my brother making fun of my new found friend's name he put in his earphones. I simply apologized for my brothers rudeness and tried making conversation, but what surprised me was the fact that I barely had to try! She was funny and did most of the talking and I was surprised with how much she shared with me. She made the walk go by so fast. After getting our drinks we were half way to school and late by the way, when all of a sudden my shoe broke! I was going to go home, but she said we could try fixing it. So we went to a store near by and bought duck tap and tried our hardest. After using several rolls of tape we got my shoe back together and were on our way. We were so close to school when I rethought going to school with duck tap on my foot, so my brother and I decided to walk home. My new friend was astonished that I would abandon her on the creepy side of town, but found it really funny. We became so close after this! She came over daily; my family loved her so much! Her being at my house or going to the store with us seemed so normal. She slept at my house more than her own and we became sisters. Then, she moved away. I was super sad to see someone so close to me move! Who else would I spend never ending nights watching PLL marathons with,pulling pranks on my little siblings, vinegar fights, flour fights, egg fights, or even outside water wars in the back yard. Within the course of weeks we became so close. Now her moving away had me worried that we wouldn't be friends anymore because of the difficulties of staying in touch, but here we are five years later! We are still so close. We talk on Skype everyday for hours and plan for our soon Summer Reunion when we can see each other again.

She's someone I would trust with my life and I'm so happy that even though she moved away we are still friends and that we became so close over a walk to school.

This brings me back to how we connect with certain people and if I could make a friend over simply walking to school, then you can make one as well . Don't be shy! Take a step out of your comfort zone and find someone to be with you through thick and thin, either as a friend like Avani or a significant other. You never know who can come into your life and how that one person can impact your life forever. So take that chance and find a gem!

~LaurenLand