Bridesmaids

My friendship with Lydia has stood the test of time and distance. Lydia and I met at Pittsburgh East  School in fourth grade and were inseparable through elementary and junior high. We formed an exceptionally strong friendship through being in talent shows, playing piano and going to Riverside Church’s youth group and church retreats. We spent nearly every weekend together with routine outings to Monroeville mall (Limited Too and Claire’s were our favorite 😂) and late nights on AOL instant messenger chatting with our friends and coming up with witty away messages. We enjoyed trying out new makeup techniques after our Avon orders came in and dying our hair. Lydia moved to Philly in ninth grade, then to St. Louis and Nashville thereafter. Even though we haven’t lived in the same city for 20 years we’ve stayed close through almost weekly phone calls and visits to and from Pittsburgh and Nashville. Lydia’s been a huge cheerleader in my life, is the first person I call to share big life news with, whether good or bad, and is one of my favorite people to have deep conversations about life with. 

My first memory of Brittany was in Mr. Jasper’s tenth grade chemistry class. I complimented her Vera Bradley handbag. She ignored me so I thought she was rude. (It turns out she just didn’t hear me.) Fortunately, we had a sociology class together two years later and set the record straight. Brittany soon after became my travel buddy, taking annual trips to her dad’s place in Myrtle Beach. We lived together in college and spent time in Antwerp, Belgium visiting her dad and gallivanting around other European countries trying to practice the French we learned in high school, exploring museums, hesitantly ordering at cafés not knowing the language, and figuring out local trains and transportation. (Brittany is a navigational genius, I take none of the credit.) She moved to Cleveland shortly after college which has made for a great weekend escape from Pittsburgh. I’ve always appreciated Brittany’s subtle humor and relaxed approach to life. She’s honest and direct, yet compassionate. A life confidante, I go to her routinely for advice and an open ear.

An added bonus to meeting Ryan. Gina and her partner were the first couple Ryan and I vacationed with to Hilton Head in 2020. Ever since that trip, our adventures have taken us from coast to coast and across the globe: Aruba, St. Kitts and Nevis, New York, San Francisco, Napa, Vail, Tahoe and Italy. We learned to ski together and have spent many winter afternoons in ski lodges “après-ski” exchanging stories of our experience on the mountain over mulled wine. Gina is always up for a challenge, entertaining countless asks to run in the Great Race 5k and 10k, hiking the Gola dell’Infernaccio while it was pouring down rain in Italy, and even climbing a dormant volcano in St. Kitts to be a part of our engagement. Gina has a big personality and an even bigger heart. She’s been there for huge milestones in my relationship with Ryan and has quickly become one of my closest friends.