ApisMellifica, Then and Now

Ok, ok. I've been making lots of references to ApisMellifica recently-- let me actually introduce you to her. Here she is:

What? You thought I had been talking about an ADULT? Oh, wait, I guess you're right. Here's a more recent photo:

You'll have to excuse my confusion. I had not actually seen ApisMellifica (or, actually, had much contact with her) for about 12 years, and she was solidly 11 years old in my memory, up until about a week ago.

Have I mentioned how much I love Facebook? It was through this marvelous nugget of the technological age that we managed to connect again after many years. We had met when I moved to the small mountain community of Evergreen, Colorado when I was 11 years old, but I moved away again shortly after I turned 13. I was barely there for 18 months, but that is plenty of time to find truly good people-- and she was one of them. I was delighted to see what she was doing with her life! For a long time, we casually checked out each other's accounts, left short notes on the other's wall ("Wow, it's been forever!"), and clicked through the posted pictures. She also read(s) my blog, which meant that she knew a LOT more about me than I knew about her, which I thought was unfair. Convenient... but unfair.

Then she started considering the University of Washington as a potential graduate school.

So she decided to visit.

This almost caused my head to explode. She asked if I'd like to meet up for a beverage of some kind. I agreed, of course... but then I asked if she'd like to stay with me, instead of in a hotel. She agreed.

I was excited, and really looking forward to learning more about this girl I had liked so much as a kid.

Then, mere moments before we would connect in the SEA-TAC airport, I experienced a degree of hesitancy. I had been saying that "anyone who is nice in 6th grade must just be a Nice Person. Middle School is the worst." And I stand by that. And yet... I did not know this girl, not really, not anymore. WHAT was I THINKING?

And then we found each other by the baggage claim, and all of my worries vanished.

She's still nice, guys! We have so much in common, and had a grand old time while she was here. I spent the whole time trying to convince her to move to Seattle... and may have made some headway. But shh... don't jinx it.

I showed her Seattle, and we ate like kings, played like children, laughed often, and had serious conversations about things that matter to us. I am so proud of 11 year old Blythe for making a friend like Apis. I'm very disappointed in my 13-year-old self for not staying in touch, but can be nothing less than elated with whatever weird swirl in the universe brought us together again. Yeah, that falling out of touch thing? Not happening again.

Especially because I'm making her move here.

Then-- note the kickass sense of style I exhibit. (When I showed Clover my sixth grade school pictures, she smiled at it, then reassured me. "It's ok, you were a kid. You're... better now." HA! I'm not showing her this picture.)

And Now. Can you understand my shock when I first saw her in the airport? She's not 11, guys, and I'm not 12.