In July 1982, my family moved to Evergreen, Colorado. It was a big change from the coastal town in Connecticut where we had been living. We were only in Evergreen for 2.5 years, but they were a very important 2.5 years of my life.
That fall I started 3rd grade at Marshdale Elementary School. I met the best friend of my childhood in Mrs. Robinson's homeroom class, Jennifer Brown. Jennifer and I shared a love of horses and drawing. She taught me about music, and style, and boys. We had countless sleepovers and were always at one another's houses. Our imaginations ran wild - playing with model horses, My Little Pony's, and little stuffed animals we called Its who had names like Radar and Sparkplug. Jennifer was the instigator, the wild one. She was short and had red freckles. I was quiet and reserved, tall and awkward. But God we had fun.
In 1985 my family moved back to Connecticut. I looked forward to the move because my parents said I could get my hair feathered and my ears pierced, what I believed to be the keys to being popular. But moving meant leaving Jennifer. It was so hard - I missed her so much. Our parents were very supportive of us keeping our friendship. We called, wrote countless letters (which I still have), and even spent a number of summers together.
The last time I saw her was in August 1991. I went out to spend time with her. I learned a hard lesson about growing up that summer. Connecticut and Colorado were very different worlds to grow up in, and it was clear that Jen and I had grown apart, despite our efforts not to. We had a good time that summer, me getting drunk the first time, learning to drive a stick shift, and horseback riding at a ranch high in the mountains. But when I got back home, we didn't write or call like we used it. It wasn't long before we completely lost touch.
I tried to find her over the years. But there are so many Jennifer Browns in the world I could never be sure that I had found my Jennifer. Then one day this past January, I received an email simply titled "My little pony - Evergreen, Colorado." It was her. She had found me (how many Chiaras are out there, really?)
Since then we have been emailing back and forth. We've yet to talk on the phone, but I keep hoping for a project at work that will take me to Denver so I can see her. I can't explain how happy I am to have her back in my life. It's as if a little piece of myself that I thought I lost has been found. Every time I get an email from her I jump right into it, so excited to hear what she has to say.
It's so good to have you back, Jen. I love you.
