familiarity

this past weekend i was reminded of beauty and safety in familiarity. things are starting to feel more like "home" here in kansas city (well, not home, just more familiar i suppose), but a visit from a friend took me back to a place of joy and comfort.

my dear friend elena, who is currently a youth pastor in "nearby" newton, kansas (about 2.5 hours), drove over to kansas city to pass the weekend with me. what did we do? nothing much. just the usual - played tennis, tried to decipher life, and embraced fall in every way possible.

after she left saturday night to go back to newton i found myself to be extremely content and happy. not that she had left, of course. but that i had been reminded of how good it feels to be around someone who knows you, who you can be yourself around, and who is just familiar. i'm sure that my new housemates, coworkers, and friends, will one day become more of that for me, but for now, it was such a delight to have such a dear friend to simply pass a few hours with talking and contemplating life with.

here are a few photos from our weekend: