Monday, January 25, 2010

Friends in High Places

I was recently reflecting on how lucky we are to have such amazing friends and family. One thing I love about Terry is that he can always find a connection to anyone, strike up a conversation, and, most amazingly, find a way to keep in touch with that person. I think one reason we have such incredible friends is that Terry makes sure we stay in touch with those important people in our lives.

Take, for example, our good friends from the awesome band lady danville. Terry met Dan and Mikey G through Spring Sing when Terry was the Stage Director and the guys were performing. I got close to Matt when my place of work at the time hired him. Since then, Terry has kept in touch with them, found time to make it out to their local shows, bought their music and other merchandise, and talked them up to literally everyone he meets. Yes, he's a fan, and so am I (along with anyone at UCLA who has met this incredible trio), but, moreover, Terry is a friend. He truly wants to see lady danville succeed. If I wasn't so lucky to call Terry my future husband, I would consider myself incredibly blessed to be his friend.

Terry is one of the most loyal people I know, and he never asks for anything in return. Terry gives just for the sake of being a good guy. Whenever lady danville is playing nearby, he checks our calendar to see if we can make it. Money, convenience, sleep, and food do not matter on these concert nights; Terry just wants to get out and support the guys. He always tries to buy something from the merch table, too - not because he thinks the guys need it but because he thinks their stuff is awesome. He never feels the need to schmooze with the guys, except to tell them their set was incredible, as always, and he never fails to say to me after the show, "Man, I wish we could get out to see those guys more." It doesn't occur to him that "more" is nearly impossible, given that we're both pursuing higher degrees and working full time. He just wants to support.

One of the million reasons I love Terry is he reminds me of my dad in some ways, and my dad is my ultimate hero. And one of my dad's greatest qualities is that he keeps in touch with people. From relatives to friends to people he met just once on a plane, my dad makes the effort where most people would simply let the relationship fade. Terry is the same way. Terry gladly gets in touch with people to whom he hasn't spoken in years to get the scoop and say hi, feels guilty if he misses someone's birthday, and brings up people from the past to make them more a part of our present. It's refreshing to be with someone who so earnestly strives to keep connections with people, regardless of how much time has past or how awkward it might be to get back in touch.

Recently, on our trip to Denver, I took a tip from Terry. I had planned a trip to Fort Collins (well, New Belgium Brewery to be more specific) for Terry's Christmas gift, and I knew that an old friend, Katie, is currently attending law school in Denver. Though Katie and I haven't spoken as much as we might have hoped in the last year and a half since she started school, I connected with her about the trip. Good thing I did! She and Eric, her boyfriend, essentially planned the whole trip for us. From breweries to food to one-of-a-kind excursions, Katie and Eric put together an incredible weekend for us in Denver. We had no idea what that city had to offer, and I'm grateful we enlisted the help of some locals! Following Terry's lead and getting in touch with old friends really paid off.

Similarly, we found another great connection in our engagement pictures. Terry and I met, as you likely know, at UCLA while working for the Orientation Program. Our director, Roxanne Neal, is a semi-professional photographer, and she graciously offered to take our photos for us. She is also busy setting up her own on-the-side photography project, so we were thrilled to be her "models". Rox was more professional than we could have imagined. With her husband and son on hand to assist (and play!), we all headed to Malibu for some gorgeous shots at Point Dume. The five of us had so much fun experimenting with various backgrounds, playing in the sand and water, and gasping at the breathtaking views. We recently met up with Rox to check out the shots, and they are truly stunning. She found a way to make us look natural and in love without being too mushy or awkwardly affectionate.

We are going to head out for a second photo shoot in the Spring, this time at UCLA. The campus holds a truly special place in our hearts. Terry has been a Bruin his whole life, as his parents met and fell in love at and graduated from UCLA. Terry earned his BS from there and is now pursuing his Master's. Terry joined almost every aspect of Student Life imaginable during his undergraduate career, from Residential Life to the Student Alumni Association to Orientation, and he was even on the football team for a bit. I fell in love with UCLA during my own Orientation session and joined the UCLA Spirit Squad during my first quarter. Apart from cheering at games, I was a campus tour guide and Orientation Counselor. We both joined the Dance Marathon committee and attended every sporting event possible, and we sometimes have competitions about who knows more UCLA history or who owns more UCLA clothing (Julie and Terry, respectively). We know a lot of couples who met at UCLA. Two of our good friends got engaged at the top of Janss Steps, and another two friends got engaged in front of Royce Hall. We love this campus, it is truly our home, and we are excited for Roxanne to find a way to capture its beauty and our love for each other in one photo shoot (no pressure, Rox).

Along this journey of being together, getting engaged, and planning our future together, Terry and I have found so many "bonuses" that come with the people in our lives. We love to spend evenings out supporting lady danville, we are excited that our engagement pictures will mean even more because they were taken by a great friend. The day we actually got engaged we were lucky enough to have Heidi and Ed there to document that important moment. When we travel, we have people like Katie and Eric that we can visit and who will help show us around. For the wedding, we already have offers of help on designing the save the dates and invitations, and references to vendors keep pouring in. We are so blessed to know that our friends are so talented, generous, and fun.

This weekend Terry and I drove out to Vegas to see Garth Brooks in concert. During that concert, Garth sang, of course, "Friends in Low Places". While we all sang and danced and clapped along, I thought to myself how lucky I am that our friends and family are as great as they come - friends in high places, if you will. And good thing, too, because we plan to take full advantage!

So here's a big thank you in advance to all of our friends who have considered us a part of your lives. We love sharing in your successes and look forward to celebrating our successes with you. Terry and I are thrilled to know such wonderful people, so please do let us know how we can support your endeavors, from shows to budding businesses to nights out on the town!

3 comments:

  1. love you guys. great catching up the other night terbear. happy you guys had a good time in denverrr :) (one of my favorite cities on da west coast)
    -matt

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  2. Great post Terry and Julie! Really enjoy reading your blog. You two are an amazing couple and your love for each other, your friends and family is evident in all you do. Heidi and I continue to wish you the best as you prepare for your big day! Love and miss you guys!

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  3. i can't believe i just read this! I am so glad we reconnected, and I cannot wait for a Napa trip in the very near future :). Eric and I seriously miss you both!

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