Familiar Faces

A few weeks ago, an old friend of mine from Green Bay was out in the Seattle area with her father to visit some family. We made plans to meet up and hang out for the day which proved to be a really great time. When I dropped her off at the end of the night, her dad jumped out of the car, gave me a big hug, and said, "Well, it must be nice to see a familiar face out here in Seattle!"

I thought about this for a long time on my ride back up to the city. What does the word "familiar" mean to me? What did it mean in the past? Who or what actually constitutes as "familiar" anymore? How long do I have to know someone for them to be considered "familiar" to me?

In all honesty, Seattle is familiar to me. It has become familiar to me over time. Seattle is my home. A place I have all to myself - where I endured miserable days, never-ending papers, lots of tears, various roommates, significant life moments, late-night movies, beautifully delicious dinners, memorable birthday parties, deep conversations, and plenty of drinks. People in Seattle are my friends, friends who make this place unforgettable. And I supposed that I'm learning more and more as time passes that it's not necessarily the places you go, it's the people you meet that make those places special. I've enjoyed cities mostly because of the friends who've made those places warm and inviting for me. I'm often asked where are my most favorite places to go in the United States. Well, that's easy. I love going to visit family and friends.

What Paul may not have realized when he mentioned "familiar faces" is that the term is entirely relative. My most familiar face in Cherry Hill, New Jersey is the banquet server at the Mansion on Main. My most familiar face in Oak Lawn, Illinois is Ashley at the front desk of the Hilton off Cicero. My most familiar face in Sacramento is my best friend in the whole wide world for ever and ever times one million for life. My most familiar faces in Milwaukee are my brother and his fiancee. My most familiar faces in Green Bay are my incredibly supportive parents. And my most familiar face in Seattle (among many) is that of JH.