It's So Hard to Say Good-bye...

...to Shawna. But the time has come. Shawna, one of my best friends, has moved to England to live out her fairytale. Yesterday she boarded a plane with her wonderful fiance and will soon be marrying him. If she were leaving for any other reason than to marry Karl, I would kidnap her.
Laura, Shawna, and I shared an emotional good-bye Wednesday night, full of many laughs (always), tears, and hugs. We were able to make one last Chik-fil-A run for old times' sake. We came away with good food, great memories, and lots of our favorite free mints. You're probably not supposed to take seventeen, but they are free...
It still hasn't quite sunk in that my Zumba partner in crime is gone, that random trips to Target (eating popcorn and drinking Pepsi) are no more, and most of all, that I won't see Shawna every day.
I still get teary-eyed thinking about these things. At first it felt like a breakup, but I have now come to think of it as a long-distance relationship. We'll keep in touch via gchat, Skype, letter writing, and annual visits. Even so, there are many things I'm going to miss about that girl:

1. the aforementioned random Target trips: Whether it was Monday night after Zumba, a lazy Saturday afternoon, or any other day of the week really, Shawna and I could often be found perusing the Target aisles with bags of popcorn and cardboard cups of Pepsi in hand.
2. having a build-in mind reader: Shawna and I have the ability to finish one another's sentences, start singing random songs at the same time, and know exactly what the other is thinking. It has not been scientifically proven (yet), but we're convinced we share a brain. Case in point, take this conversation from Wednesday night:
Shawna: "Wait...I thought that was a woman..." (in reference to Colin Powell)
Me: "Um...no. That's definitely a man."
Shawna: "Then who...?"
Me: "You were thinking of Condoleezza Rice, weren't you?"
At this point, we both burst into laughter because yes, she was indeed thinking of Condoleezza Rice. Don't judge, though. I'm sure your brain would be a bit scattered too if you were soon moving to another country.
3. shakin' it with Shawna at Zumba: While shakin' our tailfeathers and droppin' it like it's hot, Shawna and I have only to glance at each other in the mirror to dissolve into uncontrollable fits of giggles.
4. hula-hooping at Walmart: We have made fools of ourselves countless times by hula-hooping in the toy aisle at Walmart. As you can imagine, there are always many laughs when this happens.
5. absolutely everything else about Shawna: There are too many others to name individually, so I'll just say that I'll miss everything. I'm excited for this new phase of her life, though, and look forward to making new memories that we'll share for a lifetime.

And now it's picture time!

Shawna helping me onto a tree during our Mardi Gras vacation.

We made it! And aren't nearly as high up as I thought we were...

Shawna and me at our first Mardi Gras parade!

Refueling at On the Border after a Zumbathon

Halloween costumes: bowl of cereal and Mrs. Pac-Man

Battling it out at Zumba

Taking a break after a day of walking around Bricktown

I'll miss Shawna terribly, but her move will give me a chance to brush up on my letter-writing skills and a free place to stay when I visit England! So cheerio, my dear Shawna. I'll see you in a few months!