I'm safely back

Man, fall out of internet contact for a week and a half, and major things happen in the lives of the people you love!!! Let's see...Amanda Aveyard-Elo and her husband Darin have a new baby boy, Cooper, in their family. Jean and Bob Aveyard (Amanda's parents) are my set of Mom and Dad #3. And yes, it does stop there, I only have 3 sets of parents, lol. Jennifer Flory, sweetest girl in the world, someone I have known for 13 years, and someone I am happy to count among my closest friends, is finally engaged to her Chris! Apparently it happened in Philly, on the steps of the Museum of Art ("Rocky", anyone?). She waited and waited for me to show up on msn or skype and finally sent an email, to which she received my krappy automated response that I was on holiday. I am SOOO sorry hun, and I am absolutely overjoyed for you both! I am overcome with the news, and I thank my lucky stars for you that you've found the right person-- he knows I'd kick his ass if it ever came to that, but I know I'll never have to, because I have had the privilege to see in person what is between the two of you. It's a rare thing you share, I know you know that, and I feel blessed that thus far family and friends have all had the wisdom to hold out for what is right. All of that being said, please, please pick a date after April of next year. I've also come back to find out that Rob and Nicole will be tying the knot on 31 March next year, right smack in the middle of my Thailand/Phillipines jaunt. :(

Let's see what else, what else...the brother of one of my closest childhood friends (thought not someone I'm really in touch with anymore unfortunately) has gotten married also. Tressa, who has now been in Rwanda for almost a week, forwarded some pics. This is a boy I have adored for most of my life. However, not someone I would have imagined getting married this young. Funny how almost everything is opposite of what I thought would happen, in terms of people who are already married or will be getting married, and those who are single. I wonder if those who get out all their wildchild stuff in early adolescence and college are therefore those who recognize what a gift it truly is when they find something special. Meanwhile the rest of us are still just struggling to find ourselves.

Speaking of adolescence and by implication, high school, I also got a message from my friend Wes, with whom I have kept sporadically in touch since graduating from high school. He has been in and out of London for work, and wrote last week to see if I'd be around for dinner and drinks. Doh! But he's in Oxford this week, so I've written to see if he'll be around for the weekend as well, because it's been a good long while this time since we've caught up.

And last, but most definitely NOT least-- I have been assigned to the stroke unit for my next rotation, by some complete and utter mystifying twist of fate. WOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!! There is some serious karma working in my favor, or something!

I am too tired to begin on the trip, too much to say and I couldn't begin to do anything justice, but I'll be back tomorrow night with the first of my stories, and maybe some photos too. My love to all, and my heartfelt congratulations to all of you with new beginnings of one sort or another.