A home away from home

NOTE* I know that a lot of people wrote about our trip to Atlanta, so mine won't be too long... I didn't read any of the other blogs before writing mine, so if I sound repetitive, forgive me!

I have been excited for the last month about my upcoming trip to Atlanta that happened last weekend. Because of the surprise factor involved, I've haven't been able to write any of the things that I really wanted to say. Getting away from my crazy life and taking a vacation were part of the reason for cheer, but I was also overwhelmingly happy to see all the people that I had fun in Vegas with several months before. However, by the time I touched down in Atlanta, my frenzied energy was replaced by something a little unexpected, a sense of familiarity. I got off the plane and rode the train to pick up my bags without any real conscious thought, like I'd done it a million times before. It felt like I was just coming home.

I think that's what set my mood for the whole trip. I'm a newcomer/outsider to the group of people that I've been traveling with of late. Although I've known them all for years, and spent time with them occasionally, I've rarely done the things they did, or spent time hanging out with them as a whole. As a result, I often sit on the sidelines a bit, watching them interact, listening to the stories that they tell. That's what I did quite a bit this weekend. I made it a point to avoid the pictures, duck out of the video camera, and watch them just be together. What I saw was inspiring.

First, each of them are an amazing achievement on their own. Hard to find decent black men? I saw five smart, driven, handsome, respectful, successful gentlemen this weekend. Think black women are all hard to deal with? I saw eight lovable, succeeding, beautiful, supportive women over the last few days. All of them were unique and wonderful in their own way, bringing a special energy with them to table.

Now take all those beautiful people and put them in to a close friendship. The separate bonds that they have between them are interesting to see, but the way they all connect together honestly is like nothing I've seen before. They joke and laugh, share memories, watch each other's back, and cheer each other on. They joke about the short guy in the club one second, and then turn around and discuss the difficulties of the black male professional in the next breath. Dressed for a night on the town, or camped out on the rug for a night in, they hug, hold, and love each other without worrying what anyone else thinks. And during crunch time, they pull through to help one of their own, time and time again.

I know all of this probably sounds a little cheesy, but at times I feel like it's an honor to watch as this group of great people all get closer and closer, and to share in their moments of togetherness. In the end, it's people that make a vacation special. And to me, these people are more than just the perfect group of friends, they are the perfect family, something I was glad to come home to.