Would you drive over 2 hours to meet someone you've never met,
spend a few hours with them and drive back home?

Well, I did!!

9 years ago...


(Intent: to meet a friend of a friend's family)

That's when I met Danny. Who would have known that was the beginning of a very special friendship.

Danny has been one of my closest and most treasured friends over the past 9 years. He has been like a brother to me and has enriched my life a hundred-fold.

Over 6 years ago Danny began studying abroad in his beloved China and it was there he met a very special young lady - Lily. Well, after many failed attempts to 'meet,' I was finally going to get the chance, and today was the BIG DAY!!

I had initially planned on hiking in Sedona Thursday morning with Jake, but quickly aborted those plans. I reminded myself - YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION!! I then planned on continuing my trip up the mountain to Flagstaff, where I planned to spend the evening with Danny and Lily. I did not want to meet Lily for the first time after almost 6 years of 'trying' when I was all sweaty from hiking. :-/ I'm sure they were glad too. Ha!

Flagstaff is at the base of the San Francisco Peaks,
which you see in the distance.

The drive up the mountain was amazing - as always. The delicious scent of rain and pinetrees was inviting and made me want to pull over and do a rain dance. Haha, not to make it rain but to rejoice because it was raining. =)

I love weather and so anytime I get to be in it, I am like a kid in a candy store. A little over 2 hours later, I arrived in Flag. The following are all good reasons why I LOVE FLAG!!

Flagstaff was established in 1882, it has a population of approximately 60,000 people, it sits at the base of the San Francisco peaks in the largest contiguous Ponderosa Pine forest in the continental United States and boasts of it's 7,000 foot elevation. So...

"CATCH YOUR BREATH!"
(This is the city motto.)

(Old Maine Building at NAU)

I walked the NAU campus with Jake, which is also Danny's place of employment, and enjoyed the beautiful mountain backdrops, fragrant pine scents and the pure fresh mountain air. While Jake was enjoying his new surroundings, mainly 'grass.' Hehe! He LOVED it.

Danny 'scooted' (literally) to the NAU Bookstore to say 'hello' to me and then went back to work.

I confirmed plans to meet Lily at the local Starbuck's, so off I went. There she was, she was as pretty as her pictures. I felt a special connection to her from the beginning... well, I am eternally entrusting my dear friend to her. =) We had a nice time talking and then Danny showed up.

They were married this last February in Switzerland and I was unfortunately unable to make it.

It is hilarious because already they have assumed their roles as husband and wife. She controls him and he knows it but allows it with the understanding that he get the reins whenever he really wants them. Haha - ok, not really, but it's funny anyway as displayed in the video above.

**********************************************

Our expressions in the following pictures
clearly show what a great time we had.

Jake looking VERY SERIOUS on the NAU campus, he musta' thought classes were in session. Sssshhh!
The only problem with self-portraits is that
you have to have arms long enough to take them. :)

My car looking quite comfy in Flagstaff! Hmmmm?!?!
Seems we all like it. Hehe.

The best way to decide where to go for dinner.

Josephine's
My first time having fried green tomatoes - yummy!
Below: Best Mac-N-Cheese in the world, it has King Shrimp in it.
Wait, King-shrimp... that's funny. Haha!!

Josephine's Restaurant had high recommendation from Lily
and since us girls have to stick together,

that's what I picked. Haha!
It was AMAZING!! Good pick Lily! =)

Lily excited about their wedding gift.

Danny 'super' excited about the 'ribbon' on the bag...
when I told him it was supposed to double over as lingerie.
Haha... look at his face!! =) Silly guy!! :)

(The bride and groom's gift: a super-soft throw for those

cold Flagstaff days when snuggling's all there is to do. Hehe!)

Lily loves good food!!
She ought to, her parent's own a restaurant in Switzerland.

Danny loves saving money! Haha! Danny making sure we're staying 'in the budget.'
Uh, maybe next time. Wink, wink! =)
Janet just loves friends, uh, and food!

We split the tab which kept Danny in the budget after all.
He even offered to buy dessert later that night. Woah! =)

We then went to the park to play frisbee and run with, or shall I say after Jake. Danny tried teaching Jake how to catch the frisbee...
unfortunately there was one casualty in this attempt.
THE FRISBEE!! Oops.. haha! ;)
Lily teaching me how to poise.
Hehe! Silliness!
This is a Japanese thing... hmm...
forgot to ask what it means. Hope it's not bad.. haha!
Me being silly! Trying to poise like Lily. Hehe!!
Awe, me and my other great friend.

After the park it was time for Danny to make 'GOOD' on his offer for dessert.
Hmmm... and after a little convincing that
he 'really did want dessert' we were off into the sunset.
To Coldstone Creamery for the best ice cream in Arizona! Yummy! Ice cream is good no matter what the weather... maybe even better in the winter. :)

Hmm.. I think Danny may have just remembered that he was paying. Yikes! Haha... oh wait, maybe not, because he forgot his wallet. An all too common occurance over the past 9 years. Wait a minute... I think I'm catchin' on. BRAT! =)
After our deliciuos ice cream, we finished off the evening at their place. I had 'authentic' tea from Southern China as well as some delicious Swiss Chocolates flown in from Switzerland just a few weeks before.

CONCLUSION:

Lily is 2 enthusiastic thumbs up

So...

Would you drive over 2 hours to meet someone you've never met,
spend a few hours with them and drive back home?

Well, I did!!

Yesterday!!

(Sittin' on their new couch.. haha,
otherwise known as pillows if your from Western civilization.)

And...

I am so excited to see what comes of this
new special friendship.

Looks like it should be good.