to carry us through.

this last weekend was offered up to me unexpectedly a couple of weeks ago, when a friend of mine invited me and a few of our other friends to spend the weekend over in central Washington. the plan was to spend the fourth of July at the lake, and drive up and back together. the idea sounded like fun to me from the beginning--I like these friends, and water, and also getting out of town--so I said I'd love to. I'd say my expectations were medium; a good time, something fun and different to do.

well, my expectations were absolutely blown out of the water. big time. I think, looking back over the many weekends I've had in my life (most of them good, I'm sure), this one was the best. I got to spend loads of time with a few people I love, I got to know some people that I am now very fond of, I got to drive long distances while listening to Tina Fey talk about her life, and I got to participate in several adventurous watersports that I can now cross off my mental bucketlist. it was just one of those 3-day periods where basically everything was fun and amazing, and that's kind of a rare thing in life.

and then it ended. I came home last night and put away my deflated blow-up floatie that I had splashed around with in the lake just the day before. I put away my swimsuits and my cooler and I washed the Wenatchee dust off my car. this morning, I woke up to a regular Monday in my own little town. not long ago, this would have given me major post-vacation letdown. it still did, a little bit. but the older I've gotten, the more I've come to realize that good things ending doesn't negate them in any way. the fact that they happened is what matters most.

I've got all these little memories and images and soundbytes locked safely away in my head. I can remember most of the hilarious things that were said and done, see the scrubby landscape and brilliant lake in my head, hear the voices and laughter of my friends, long after the sounds died away. I've still got the experience under my belt, and I'm still a fuller, happier, more copious person after last weekend than I was before. things happen, moments happen, weekends happen in order to change us, and they end because it's in their nature to do so.  but they leave a mark on us--and the good times leave us smiling, with stories and pictures and a gleam in our eyes to carry us through to the next great adventure.