I met my best friends at Antique Photo the summer after my freshman year. None of us had any idea what was in store for us that summer. None of us had very high expectation, I'd venture to guess. But there we were, stuck in a small shop, where we'd sit for hours on end and simply talk, if it was slow (ie for all of June...). Perhaps it was the sheer amount of time we spent talking about anything and everything; it could have been our shared love of taking pictures. Perhaps what sealed the bonds of our friendship was every negative customer that we made fun of after they left. Whatever it was, we became fast and forever friends. Well, maybe not forever. But I sure hope so.
These girls redefined so much for me, especially in terms of relationships. There's way to confine their influence to one area or to try to explain it in one sitting. They've changed my life, become an integral part of it. A part that I hope to never see go. Working with them was the best working experience of my life. It made a crappy job seem amazing. It never dawned on me that Antique was a terrible and frustrating place to work until I was there alone. Yes, I had a few girls from the group working but we were never scheduled together. And one transferred, the other was frequently sent away. The first summer we were all there. We had a few other girls every year, but they were really just drifters. The second year, almost all of us returned. Another INCREDIBLE summer. The third year began to go downhill. It was just me and Katie. Rachael had to grow up and intern at a graphic design place, Hannah was working at the mall, Khira had to work in Richmond because of the gas places, and we'd fallen out of touch with Sunny. Katie and I had a lot of fun together, but it was hard without the other girls. My fourth (and final, Praise the Lord) season it was just me and Hannah and Khira. I already mentioned how that went.
The point is that I love these girls. They are truly my best friend. Which is why I've decided to devote a blog exclusively to Antique escapades and memories, a way to walk down memory lane and keep each other current as well. I'm so excited about it I could hardly sleep last night. So, if you want to be amazed at tales of the friendship that makes Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants look like the fight scene from Star Wars, check it out.
http://sixgirlsandacamera.blogspot.com
