Juspreet - 1996
If I were to produce a movie about my friendship with Juspreet the first scene would be random parents decorating the house for their five year old's birthday party (can you tell I've been watching 'This is Us' too much? :). Fast forward to guests mingling and you’ll see two college students, 19 and 20 years old, joking like they’ve know each other forever. That would be Jus and me (in case that wasn’t obvious). Why were we at a five year old's birthday party as teenagers is beyond me, but it’s one party I’m glad I didn’t miss!
We have been best friends ever since. This girl truly knows me at my core. From spending weekends at one another's houses eating bagel bites, to bailing from high school reunions , to sneaking off to Chicago while our parents thought we were hanging out locally (I guess the secret is out now). We can laugh for hours and talk about anything. She's the biggest advocate for social change and truly walks the walk!
She and I also had a podcast in 2017 until the pandemic, just talking about the craziness of parenting a (back when podcasting wasn't an...everyone is doing it...thing! :)
YouTube Archive of Podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEGm2ygPJK_UWySrAMak0RVzHQ5Y2RYAJ
Dia - 2007
I’m at the airport in Miami in 2007 heading back to D.C. At the last minute they told me that I needed to change my seat in the back by the toilet (and of course it was in the middle). I got on the plane complaining as loudly as I can. Yes, I wanted everyone to hear me (I was also with a friend so I didn't look completely nuts). As I was walking towards the back I saw a girl looking up at me sitting in the window seat and giggle (cause, you know, I'm loud). I saw her face and just kinda stopped. Besides the fact that she was gorgeous, I felt like I had seen that face before (that's as deep as I'm getting). I forgot all about my annoyance and we just started chatting. We were talking about a book she was reading about connections and learned more about one another than most do after years of knowing each other. When we landed, we exchanged numbers and I just hoped it wasn't one of those plane friendships that never really amount to anything.
Three looooong days later one of us texted the other. I'm not sure who did it first, but I remember being really excited when we made dinner plans! We met at TGIF's, talked about anything and everything. I went back to her apartment and she played the guitar and we just drank wine till 1 AM.
Dia was diagnosed with cancer following her interview for this documentary and is a TRUE cancer warrior! When Alyssa was three we spent one week with her while she was in treatment at Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, a week I will never forget.
We have weekly phone dates that I cherish (where I do everything I can to soak in the higher frequency she's on!) She is truly the strongest soul I know. We all have one in our lives, she's the one in mine.
Heather & Jess - 2011
These gals are the most fun couple in America! Yes I did research. I met Heather around 2011 when she was a dog walker for my doggy Butters. The company switched dog walkers all the time so I was used to people coming and going. But once I met Heather I told them I don't want anyone else.
Ever.
So needless to say (as I'm saying it anyway), when she quit the dog walking company, I didn't quit her and she has become one of my closest friends. There are very few people who are guaranteed not to bore you and she's one of them! Social satire, politics, everyday life stuff or just why society continues to value IQ over EQ, are just some of our conversations. Both of us have gotten married since we met and let's just say her wife and my husband validate why we all get along so great.
They listen while we talk. ;)
We enjoy going on double dates or just hanging out, drinking too much wine and venting the following week about how we got nothing done the next day.
Brittany - 1996
I was in economics class at George Mason University when a mutual friend introduced me to Brittany. A 300+ lecture class that 90% of students failed (our professor apparently never heard of a bell shaped curve). Nothing good came out of this class (even after the second time I took it).
Except, I made a lifelong friend!
We both realized very quickly that we have a very low threshold for people who don't try to help themselves (in case you're wondering what happened to our mutual friend) and have been great friends ever since.
Post college we were roommates for two years and I honestly don't think we ever had one fight (her boyfriend -turned-husband Mike, now that's a different story :) She was in law school while I was in broadcasting school and all I can say is that she was instrumental in getting me the top TV student award. Because in order for THAT to happen, I needed HER talent, charisma and charm in my videos!
Here's a link to my favorite one from 2001. We also get to see Mike here :).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEKzjjz9Qto&list=PL94165FDAF97D3912&index=9&t=
Melissa - 2005
I first met Melissa in 2005 over work email. Two words, "Please Call." I was an intern back then hoping to get a contract, so assuming everyone was important, I called her ASAP. She asked me to give her some paperwork she needed to process...blah blah. And I'm like, "Wait, for what?" And she's like, "For your contract, Lisa!!" (with an undercurrent of duh!).
Yes, that's how I found out that I had gotten my dream job!
She was our admin back then, which I only found out about after this call. When I first walked into her office that day she was...well Melissa. Very very VERY sarcastic, and, uh nice...ish. I couldn't tell if she liked me. But me *not* being me (I had to be on my best behavior), I was just nice and grateful. It took maybe a few more visits before I won her heart! ha (I'm imagining her reading this).
We've been close friends ever since! She makes me laugh like no one else and I truly feel like our banter is a game of the William sisters taking center court. She's probably the most sarcastic person I know (as you'll see in the documentary).
I just hope our entire friendship hasn't been just a sarcastic bit for her that she didn't know how to end.
Tina - 2007
I met Tina in my building in 2007 during a video shoot. You'd think it was some sort of fancy operation, but really, it was just my camera guy and me hanging out INSIDE my building to ask 'on-goers' about their Christmas wishlist (we were doing a piece for work). So basically because of my laziness and intolerance to the freezing weather, I met Tina. After telling me her Christmas wishlist on camera, we talked for like an hour and anything and everything (I had all the footage I needed in case you're wondering :).
I think the few years living in this condo building were my most fun post-college time (I also met my husband Sameer there). It was like an extension of dorm living (just a fancy brand new high rise). We went to one another's units on weekends, every evening, halloween parties, snow storm get togethers, etc.
My thing with Tina was Popeyes and wine (back when my basal metabolic rate was higher and my body allowed me to process both without any lavatory complications). Sameer said that Tina and I may be the loudest two women he knows (and he's right. :)
One of the thing I most admire about Tina is that she is always there for any friend in need, no matter what day, time or continent she's on! She lives by the golden rule and anyone who crosses her path is truly lucky because they have a 'go to' friend for life!