Don't Go Just Yet!

My friend Rachel, who you can read about HERE, HERE, and HERE, has been in China teaching English to naughty children for the past year. Right now she's in the Colorado visiting family before her contract re-ups and she heads back for another six to twelve months of teaching the naughty children in China. I think she's nuts but to each her own. And to be more accurate, she's not in Colorado right now, but rather stuck in Chicago returning to Colorado after visiting her sister in Virginia. Nice timing, snow bunny.

I miss Rachel. She and I spent countless hours together in Florida; going to the movies, out to eat, hanging out at my place watching TV and providing our own hilarious (to us anyway) running commentary. She is what is known as A Great Deal of Fun.

When Rachel moved to China for her teaching stint, I decided to send her podcasts from me, telling her about things going on this side of the planet - my bad dates (which are now no more, thank you very much), my friends all having babies ("It must be something in the water! Sheesh!"), living at home and trying to get my business up and going. And of course, I give her updates on her boyfriend, Oliver.

Months and months ago, Rachel disappeared from contact. No emails, no blog entries. China had cut-off the Internet and, as it turns out, the outgoing mail too. So, when my phone rang a few weeks ago when I was in Target and I heard the sound of my long-lost friend's voice, I nearly burst into tears. In Target. While looking at batteries. She was in the States, finally, and the sound of her voice brought a joy I didn't expect.

Tonight I called her parents' house in CO to talk to her, "Hi, this is Cydney calling for Rachel!" I said in a sing-song asking kind of way.

It was met with a pause and a confused mumble-type sound. Then I realized I was talking to her mother, who's name is also Sydney. You can imagine now how hearing "This is Cydney calling for Rachel" when you yourself are Sydney and you rarely hear that name other than when someone is talking to you, would be confusing.

All I'm sayin' is I miss talking to my friend Rachel and I hope she gets home form Chicago soon so I can talk to her before leaving for that crazy China place to teach the naughty children in less than a week.