A Philadelphia Reunion

A kind stranger took our photo (with a bit of her own finger in the corner) at the art museum.

In fall 1999, my first quarter of college, I was paired with three roommates at random. One I rarely saw throughout the year, and never again once the school year was over. The other two and I not only became good friends, but also lived together until graduation tore us apart. Besides my sister and Paul's sister, they were the only other bridesmaids I had at my wedding.

Sarah, Allison and I moved to various cities and states after leaving Ohio State, but for the last two years we've all been within a few hours of each other on the East Coast -- Sarah in Philadelphia, Allison in Annapolis and me in Brooklyn. Although we've seen each other individually since becoming right-coasters, all three of us haven't been in the same room since the mid-2000s.

Finally, we all coordinated schedules and met in the middle for a weekend in Philadelphia. It was my first time there since a single afternoon in the city in the summer of 2000. So I was eager to see the sites, but I was more eager to see my friends.

This was a girls' weekend only, so Paul stayed behind and I caught a Greyhound after work for the two-hour ride. Roundtrip was only $30 -- probably cheaper than driving, considering the toll roads and bridge fees. After realizing how easy the whole trip really was, I spent the weekend chastising myself for not making it sooner, and more often.

I was gone for only 48 hours on the dot, and of course the weekend passed by much too quickly. On Friday I'll share photos and a bit of what we did: indoor activities, taking into account the nearly three-digit temperatures!