Feeling Sentimental

So, this weekend, I got together with 4 different girl friends at 4 different times. And they weren't just people I have met over the last few years. They were all friends I have known forever and am still friends with(Jessica, Rachel, Laurie and Laurie). Actually I've known all of them for at least 15 years! This afternoon when I was driving back to my parents house after seeing Laurie and Andy and their baby I was thinking about how I was away from my friends and family for 4 years. I loved living in Philly and it was easy to get home for a weekend or whatever, but it was still hard to make plans with my friends in Baltimore. It was always so rushed trying to fit everyone in in the one or two days I was home. Then when we lived in Virginia Beach it was so much different. That was the first time we were really around noone we knew. Its so much different going to the grocery store and knowing you are not going to run into one person who even looks remotely familiar. I know some people hate that about Pikesville but I never did. I just can't believe that I was 5 hours away from my family and friends when I had a newborn baby. It seems so odd to me now and I can't imagine it. How did I even do it? When Mark was working those long hours or if he was out of town, I was literally by myself for days at a time. The weird thing is I was never really unhappy, I guess all of the excitement of being a mother for the first time plus all the extra hormones made me happy all the time. Of course we traveled alot and I loved coming to Baltimore but it was such a schlep to get here whether I was flying or driving. It was great to be here but again it was rushed and there was always the dreaded packing and knowing that as my visit was coming to and end, we had that awful drive the next day. I can't even explain how amazing it is to just live here now, not having to travel for the holidays or anything else and to be able to just always sleep in our own bed, have so much help from our family and have the freedom to get together with whoever we want, whenever we want. I'm not downplaying the people I spent time with when I lived other places. I mean I had Alissa in Philly and that was amazing. Some of the most fun times in my 20s were spent with her there! I met lots of great people in Virginia who I will always be in touch with. But there is just something about living in a place where you really have roots. Its different. Not a day goes by when I don't appreciate all of this now. How cheesy is this blog entry? Ok, thats all.