When we were in high school and college it was always fun to talk about how we were going to move far away when we got older. We were going to marry unbelievably rich men, drive expensive cars, and live on the coast. We were going to live care free lives and never age. These were all things that were fun to talk about when we were young. Dreams of moving away from Kansas City and living on our own were ideas that got us through the tough and/or boring times. But I never actually thought this day would come. The day that I sit back and realize that a large portion of my friends are moving away and moving on with life. The day that I realized that we’re grown up. We are now living in the time that once seemed out of our reach.

One of my best friends from high school followed his dream, his heart, and his love and moved to Los Angeles, California a few years ago. I was ecstatic for him…and I still am. While I miss him dearly, it’s comforting to know that if you have the guts to follow your dream it can and will come true.

One of my oldest friends moved to Arizona last summer…also to follow her love. College came, went, and jobs/grad school presented themselves in the Southwest. So naturally she and her now fiance moved there to start a new life.

In November, just a few months ago, another one of my friends who has been by my side since my awkward elementary days, took a chance and applied for jobs everywhere EXCEPT Kansas City. She wanted to explore new places and new opportunities. She accepted a job working at a hospital in Indianapolis. I admire her independence and determination. And although I don’t think she knows this, I’ve always looked up to her for those traits.

Now, one of my best friends from college, my sophomore suite mate, my sister, is moving to Tennessee to go to Medical School. MEDICAL SCHOOL. That’s so unbelievably crazy for me to think about. While we haven’t stayed as close post-college as we were in our very-early-twenties, I will miss her dearly. But I know she is going to do great things with her life and I am so so proud of her.

And then there are all of my friends from college who returned home after our 4 (or 5) year stint in college. “Home” for most of my close friends was Omaha, Nebraska. And while Omaha is much closer than Arizona, LA, Indianapolis, or Tennessee, it’s still far away. I can’t just walk out my front door and down the street to have a beer on my bestie’s porch. I can’t just call them up and ask if they want to meet at Carson’s for a quick dinner before going to the Palms. Growing up is fun, but at times it is so very bittersweet.

Today is Friday. Today is the one day a week I jump on the scale and hope to see results from the dieting and exercise in which I have been partaking. I promised to update my dieting blog every Friday. However, last Friday I took a week off. I didn’t lose any weight – but I didn’t gain any either! – and I was a bit ashamed, to be honest. It was an extremely stressful week at school, and rather than taking my stress out by working I just did nothing…and apparently ate everything. This week, though, that was not the case. While my loss is not much, it is at least something.

I have lost an additional 1.5 pounds. This brings my total weight loss to 5.5 pounds. While I’m happy that my weight is going in the right direction, I’m not happy that I haven’t lost more. You see, I’m a tad bit obsessed with Biggest Loser. As a result, I often compare my weight loss to that of the contestants on my beloved Tuesday night program. I want to step on the scale every Friday morning and hear Allison tell me I’ve lost 6, 8, or 10 pounds. I realize this is silly and unrealistic. The contestants on that show work out 8 hours a day and have significantly more weight to lose than I do. So I keep telling myself that any weight lost is a good thing. I can’t seem to get it through my thick skull though.