Thank God for Friends

Tonight as I looked around the booth at my friends I realized how much I enjoy my life right now. I’m definitely looking toward the future but I’m also appreciating the present more than I ever have these days.
It was one of the first times I’ve gone to McCormick & Schmick’s bar and throughly enjoyed myself. When Aja, Sofia and I got there we were soon joined by Mark who had just gotten off work at M&S across the street. We got our drinks and had our laughs at dumb stuff Mark said. My old manager, Erica, stopped by and we giggled over a drunken night we’d had ages ago. She remembers it pleasantly because she is now dating the guy she ended up with. I barely remember my guy’s name but I didn’t want to tell her how unfun it had been for me.
Paul dropped by out of nowhere and squashed into the booth and then disappeared and reappeared clutching a cognac. He expertly rolled a cigarette and launched into South Park’s “The Passion of the Jew,” which had us rolling. Patrick from the bar gave me a wave and Sofia asked how long I had worked here. “A couple of months.” I replied. When we left John, the flaming waiter from M&S gave me a squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. “When are you going to come back to M&S?” John asked. “Never.” I thought to myself. “I’d have to spend too much time with this fucker.” I joked, pointing to Mark. Patrick gave me another wave as we headed out the door.
I’ve never really loved Reston and I’m ready to move out of here; but lately it has been much more fun. It definitely helps that I can drink now and it also helps that I’ve worked in Reston my whole life. And as much as I hated the time I spent in McCormick & Shits I now have a bunch of people that greet me whenever I go by. And I have a group of friends who make going there fun. My friends Aja and Sofia definitely make the experience of crappy suburban bars more enjoyable.
I’m trying not to think too much about the future. I want to live my life now, not later. But I couldn’t help hoping that Aja and I will find in New York what we’ve only recently found here—friends who make dingy bars and cheap beer fun and interesting. It’s like the college group I never found at Mason. We can have a big laugh together and hang out later and see the same people over and over but because we’re together it’s more fun. I never found it at Mason or at Tower. I never found it at Expulsion and I envied it at Shepherd. But now I’ve finally started to find my group. Some of them are moving up to New York thankfully. I don’t want to lose it completely as soon as I’ve found it.
They say the twenties are the best years of your life. Or something like that. I don’t want to be in my twenties forever but I am definitely enjoying them while they last. Late nights, shitty jobs, cheap beer and good friends.