Our New Roommate
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen a face that keeps popping up. Our friend, Kristi, moved to Hawaii on August 30th and is living with us while she gets settled.
Headed up to the North Shore a couple weeks ago
Kristi listed me as a reference on a recent job application and had to put how long we’ve known each other. It was a bit shocking when we realized that we have been friends for 21 years. We met in August 2000, my first day of band camp at Clemson (yes, really). Kristi was a year ahead of me so she was a sophomore.
Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho in 2001 - see how we haven’t changed a bit?!
She and Chris also already knew each other since Chris was a senior (Clemson was the best 7 years of Chris’ life). Kristi and I both played in the piccolo section but didn’t really become friends until the spring of 2001, when I decided to join Kappa Kappa Psi, the band fraternity, that she and Chris were already a part of (Chris and I wouldn’t start dating until November 2003). Not only were Kristi and I not friends that first year, we actively disliked each other. Neither one of us can remember a real reason for it, but we both have vivid memories of thinking the other was a ...not nice person.
Kristi, me and Melissa at Clemson, probably around 2002
Anyway, Tiger Band was a close-knit group, and Kristi and I became the best of friends. We even lived together in an on-campus apartment my junior year, Kristi’s senior year. I had a great time looking through old photos to choose which to post here. But I will also admit that there were a lot of photos I can’t post because… let’s just say that we both REALLY enjoyed our college years.
After Clemson, we visited every few years and it was like no time had passed at all.
Kristi, Chris and me at Clemson for Homecoming in 2005
But Memphis, TN and Durham, NC are not close together. Our visits to each other became less frequent until a few years ago. In 2017, me, Kristi and our other close friend from Clemson, Melissa, got together for a weekend. We had such a blast that we decided to make it an annual thing. Our last weekend was in March 2020, just before the pandemic started to take over.
Kristi, Melissa & me in March 2020
I convinced Kristi to come visit this spring so she flew out and spent a week with us in April. We had so much fun, and I loved showing her around the island. About a week later, Kristi sent me a Marco Polo (do you use that app? I love it!). She said something to the effect of, “I need you to tell me I’m crazy because I’m thinking about moving to Hawaii.”
On our hike to the Maili Pillbox during Kristi’s visit in April 2021
Well, clearly I couldn’t tell her she was crazy. I was all for the idea. Less than 5 months later, here she is! I’m trying to convince her to do a guest post on the blog and tell her story of what made her decide to take the leap, so hopefully that post will be coming soon.
When we bought our house, our amazing realtor told us that other people would follow us out here. We laughed and said, yeah right. But Kristi is the first, and now we have bets going to see who is next!
Somewhere at Clemson sometime
Kristi has been here a month and so far, so good. We haven’t gotten on each other’s nerves too badly yet. I made her join my gym so for the first time in quite awhile, I have a workout buddy. I am loving that and we are going 4 days a week. Otherwise, she is interviewing for jobs (should hear about one this week!) and we have spent a lot of days at the beach.
Making friends in a new place during a pandemic has been difficult, so it’s been awesome to have one of my closest friends move out here. Chris has gotten more video game playing time, which he’s happy about. But no one is happier than Rigsbee that he has another person to give him attention.
So tell me, who is going to join us next?!?!