Peach Juleps

Last week I felt like I was on auto-pilot- work, gym, blog, work, gym, blog. Because January is dark and the days are short, I felt like my weeks were whipping past at breakneck speed with nothing of real substance to take away from them. We all have periods of time like this, when you wake up and all of a sudden it’s February and you think- where did it all go?!?!

Nothing presses that reset button quite like spending time with good friends. This week my good friend Jasmin was visiting from Zurich. If I look back at what I accomplished this week, it’s much less than the previous weeks- I skipped the gym most days, I left work at 5pm on the dot, I cooked almost nothing and took pictures of absolutely nothing. But I feel invigorated. Revitalized. I am tired, objectively, but I have a twinkle back in my eye. Jasmin pressed the reset button.

When you’re busy and exhausted, making time for friends seems like the last thing you want to do. Less time?!?! I’m already tired! Do I need to put on pants for this?

This week I learned, or probably re-learned, the intrinsic value of time with friends. It’s like I was a video game character and my energy/hit point/mana bar (oh yeah, PS I’m a total nerd) just bloop-bloop-bloop, filled right up to the top. I was busier, I was spending less time in my pajamas snuggling my laptop, but I had more energy…

Relativity of time, the curiosity of expending energy to gain energy, I could write an entire paper on this.

I’ll take this moment to make what might be a controversial statement- time with friends is different than time with your partner. I love Colin, he’s my best friend and my husband and my favourite person. But it’s not the same. As a girl who was always in very long relationships, I was staunch on the dual class partner/best friend thing for ages. Why couldn’t they be the same thing? Obviously this person is my favourite, I spend all my time with them!

But there is a difference. In the wisdom of my years, I can now say- there is a difference.

I struggle to find the words to describe exactly what that difference is, but I know it’s there. My life got infinitely richer when I discovered the importance of good friends (that aren’t lovers) (blech, I hate that word “lovers.” In the words of Liz Lemon, it should really only be used between the words “meat” and “pizza”).

Right. So, as usual, I have blethered on about something random for far too long and you’re probably wondering what all this has to do with today’s lovely cocktail. Well, it’s a Friends Night cocktail. Make it individually, make it by the pitcher. Pair it with absurd stories, lurid gossip, deep belly laughs and a big spread of snacks.

Hug your friends, tell them how much you love them, I know I love mine. Jasmin, Megan, Gillian, Natalie, Chelsea, Susanna- you guys are my coven and the best bunch of weirdos I could ask for.