Place: Roasting Water, 7561 Carson Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90808
Tea of Choice: Me - Thai Tea w/Boba, Rachel - Sea Salt Jasmine, Aram - Hot Milk Tea, Tucky - White Chocolate, Courtney - White Chocolate
Giraffe Rating (out of 5 | for tea): 3.465
Read whilst listening to: Anything by FIDLAR (do so at your own peril)
If you're wondering how to pronounce the title, the O is silent.
This blog post took about as long to write as it did for us to get our acts together and go on the te(a)scapade itself. Also, as there are four of them and it has taken me precisely 2 months and 1 day to write/publish this post, it's a little long so get comfortable. It should be noted that two integral members were missing from the excursion. Honorable mention goes out to Mohini N. and Ana H. Don't freak out they didn't die, they just pulled an "Aram" and were at the gym - specifically the Lyon Center.
There was no set of words that I could think of that would adequately capture Aram, Courtney, Rachel, Tucky**, and I's friendship, so instead, I will use Tucky's:
"Someone asked me what I'm most proud of, I said relationships, and then I laughed". - Madison Tucky
If you were on the outside looking in, you'd hear an unintelligible conversation of unfinished stories interspersed between boisterous laughter. You'd also probably end up at an In and Out somewhere in Southern California or Salt and Straw [the reason for the addiction] or Milk Jar Cookies or Vegas, really the possibilities are endless. In the spirit of the unconventional nature of this motley crew, instead of writing about them I am going to write to them [which I know that 3 out of 4 of them will vomit upon reading, and intellectual creativity credit goes to Tucky]:
Dear Aram, Courtney, Rachel, and Tucky,
You suck.
Lol jk.
It would be so much easier to leave it there, but then I would be lying. Each of you is a gem. I know that you were all wondering what I was writing in the little brown book so here it is: You bring a smile to my face in such unique and disparate ways. Aram, you're two people in one - either you're taking Vegas by storm #ROWDY or you're earnestly pondering the posed question to give a thoughtful and empathetic answer, which is often met with high levels of sass from everyone else but never stops you from forging forwards. You take it all within your stride with such an enthusiasm that's infectious, while getting mildly irate. Courtney, you're such a squishable, huggable little nug. Everything about you is so tiny and elfin, but feisty (like an angry Santa elf) and unrelenting. You continue to fight and push especially for those you care deeply about. Rachel, you're a force to be reckoned with. When you set your sights on something you go at it with 110%, you devote yourself to your endeavors, whether that be people or circumstances and make someone feel violently loved regardless of time known. Tucky, the glue that holds us all together. So unbelievably witty and eloquent, I mean much of this post was really just your words. You continually push each of us to strive to be the best versions of ourselves and engage us beyond the surface level. Your mind is always whirling about people, intensely observing and cherishing every individual but cloaking the love in subtle humor to allow the other person to accept the love that they don't think they deserve.
Together we've laughed, we've cried, we've eaten copious amounts of Thai food, ice cream and chicken (looking at you Aram), driven a ridiculous amount of California, killed two succulents, calculated the number of quarter pounder burgers you can make from a cow, and so much more all in the name of college. It's been an AMPED journey, but I'm not sure what I would have done without it. Who can be sure of what adventures are to come? I look forward to finding out,
A word that was thrown out in jest during TEA was synergy, and whilst this was most likely said for comedic effect it neatly summarizes what I'm trying to convey. The summation of our quirky beings is greater together than apart. There are no pros, no cons for this post, just deep appreciation and admiration for a group of people that on paper make no sense together, yet in real time go together like wine and cheese (think super ripe blue cheese and you're along the right lines).
Thank you for coming to TEA with me, thank you for being unapologetically you.
*OA = Orientation Advisor aka the strangest summer aka the one where we got paid to yell at one another
**Before you look for deeper meaning in the name order, I literally typed them in alphabetical order.
This quote has nothing to do with anything but it was too good to not include: "I ripped my dress before work and because I can't sew I stapled my dress". - Courtney Vu. If you were on a USC tour and wondered why your Tour Guide has staples in her dress, you now have your answer; you're welcome.
Until next time,
BG