Last night I was talking to one of my friends who is chasing her dream out in California.  She’s made some of the toughest decisions of anyone I know to get out there and stick it out.  To say that I admire her would be the understatement of the world.  She is one of those people who, just by talking to her about the most mundane things, causes some sort of change in my life.

Last night, my friend asked me a question.  Seemed so simple.  “Deneen, where do you want to be?”  I answered, without a second’s hesitation, Philadelphia.  Yeah.  I know.  Who would’ve thought?  Then we were talking about how so many of our friends are all strategically placed in California, living out their dreams.  I found myself saying, “You know what my dream is?  For all of your (all of my friends) dreams to come true.  For me, that would be my dream come true.”

I’ve been called a pillar, a backbone, superglue so many times throughout my life, and each time I laugh out loud.  I fight being those things.  They’re messy, dirty, thankless jobs.  It turns out that John Gamble, my high school principal, had it right when he gave me the “Unsung Hero” award when I was a senior. 

I don’t know where this is going to take me…but it’s the start of something.  City of Brotherly Love–watch out.  Looks like I’m here for a while.