Dinner with Brittany

I'm very excited about tonight.  I get to see my DG big sister, Brittany and her husband Matt tonight.  She is one of my favorite people, but I hardly ever get to see her since she lives in West Tennessee.

When I joined DG, I was assigned a series of "anchormates."  These were members who would get to know one new member a week, and take them out to dinner, ice cream, whatever.  Brittany was my third anchormate.  She chose me after an OC night on Massey.  When it came time to pick our big sisters, I wrote down Brittany as my number one, but worried that because she was such a popular anchormate, she would either put down someone else, or other people would put her and reduce my chances.

Brittany gave me the greatest treats during big sis week.  She threw me off by having the front desk of my dorm call and let me know there was something waiting for me and Katie downstairs.  When I got there, there were fresh chocolate chip cookies, but the note implied that Brittany was definitely NOT my big sis.  I was disappointed, but decided life would go on, and I would be excited about whoever my big was.

Big sis revealing was one of the greatest days ever.  We met in the downstairs of Massey and were given a room key.  We were then let loose to run up to the 5th floor and try doors; your big was in the room that would unlock. 

Well, about half my pledge class piled into the elevator (there were probably 25 of us in the elevator, while capacity was probably 10.)  The elevator didn't like this and wouldn't budge.  We barreled up the stairs eagerly.

I immediately ran to Brittany's door, but was heartbroken when the door didn't open.  I was overwhelmed by the fact that now I would have to try my key in the multitude of other doors.  Finally, I found a match, and when I swung open the door, Brittany was standing there!  She had thrown me off!  I was so excited that she was my big.

Our friendship immediately bloomed.  She loved Friends, which I happen to love too.  Katie and I would walk to Massey together.  She'd call Andrea, her big, on the way and I'd call Brittany.  We'd separate when we got off the elevator, hang out with our bigs for a while, and then head back to South Carrick.  Brittany and I would talk about the silliest, most insignificant things, but it was so much fun.

Then something sad happened.  Spring semester, Brittany went to England to study abroad.  I was so sad.  I could no longer go visit Brittany on Massey.  We would occasionally get to talk on AIM (this was before we knew of skype), and I would hardcore stalk her facebook photo albums and live vicariously as she traveled to France, Ireland, Egypt, Cyprus, and other places.  I was so jealous.

When she finally got back to the States, I went to visit her in Parsons, where she's originally from.  When I did, she told me that while she was studying in England, she'd started reading Harry Potter (<3) which she had originally been skeptical of.  We had a wonderful time jet skiing at sister's house (her sister, not mine.)

In August we were reunited at work week for DG.  She told me she had met someone when she got back home.  I was very eager to hear all about it!  I moved into Massey and Brittany moved into an apartment at Bridgecourt.  She would drive to come get me, we'd hang out at her apartment, then she'd drive me home. 

Then in January, Brittany informed me she wouldn't be coming to meeting on Mondays because she had class.  I was sad because that would be one less opportunity for me to hang out with her.  Well, the Tuesday night after MLK holiday, we had meeting since there was no class on Monday.  Brittany was able to come!  Yay!  That night there was a candlelight (when a sorority member gets pinned, a promise ring, or engaged, she passes a candle around while the sorority song is being sung and when it gets to her, she blows it out to inform her sisters of her exciting news).  I thought nothing of it because Brittany and Matt had only been dating 7 or 8 months.  As the candle went around, it made it almost all the way to the end before it was blown out by....Brittany.  I freaked out because I was all the other way around on the other side of the railing.  I ran to Brittany and hugged her and congratulated her.  I was so happy.  

Turns out, Matt had proposed to Brittany with a Magna Doodle (symbolic of the magna doodle on the back of Joey and Chandler's door on Friends.)

Brittany asked me to a bridesmaid in her wedding and I was so honored.  They got married by a lake near her sister's house.  It was beautiful and sweet and perfect.  

When the school year started back, I still saw Brittany some, but she was in grad school, and married, and I was busy with school and DG.  We'd get together for game night (she and Matt are junkies, too.)  Brittany and I share a special love of Marble Slab so we'd go there occasionally on dates. 

So I randomly texted her the other day because I miss her.  She said Matt was going to be in Nashville for a golf tournament and she's on fall break so she was thinking of coming in town and having dinner with him.  So M and I are joining them for dinner tonight at PF Changs.  I'm so, so, so excited!  It's been about 9 months since we saw each other last!