Ay, Dios mio!

Estimados Amgios,

My Comadre is the best.  

What is a "comadre"?  According to the Merriam-Webster's English translation, it is defined as:  1) godmother of one's child; 2) mother of one's godchild; 3) neighbor, female friend.  When I refer to my Comadre, I use it as a term of endearment for my BFFL, better known as Jennifer to the rest of the world.  

Her and I are basically long lost twin souls from two different mothers.  I love my family and hers, so I'm lucky to say I am blessed with two loving families, one in the east coast (mine) and another in the south (hers).  We met in high school on the second day of the 2002-2003 academic year.  I was a sophomore and she a freshman.  Since then we have been really close, even when I moved to Houston for 4.5 years.  During my time in Houston, we didn't communicate at all, but as soon as I touched-down in Dallas, it was like I never left.  

Jennifer gave you her introduction for the purpose of this blog but I would like to share my side of the story.  I left Houston back in 2010 because I was done with college and was working, but I felt like my life was beginning to be sucked into this blackhole of nothingness.  I felt that I need to get out of that situation and see the world, so I moved back to Dallas. Immediately, Jen & I reconnected and became as inseparable as ever.  We had many experiences during our time apart and in some sense were different people, but at the same time, we realized how similar we were.  We bonded into a team of starry-eyed idealizers, beginning to see our life with a newfound grandiose perspective.    We began to plan our move to LA for 2011, but then we settled on NYC because the schools in NYC were more recognized.  Long story short, I got accepted to NYU as a graduate student and moved to the Big Apple.  My Comadre stayed in Dallas, not because she wanted to.  

It's been almost two years since I made the big move, but my Comadre and I make an effort to see each other at least every six months.  Most recently, we met up in Vegas and when we returned to our respective homes, I told her I was ready for LA as she told me the same.  I told you we are too alike.  

I'll share an excerpt from an email I sent her a few weeks ago regarding our move to LA:

"Subconsciously, I always knew NYC was temporary but that has not been the case in regards to LA.  I think that is the place we are supposed to end up but to make it worth it, we had to be ready.  And, the Lord has prepared us. It is such a coincidence that yesterday I came across a quote:  "The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why" - Mark Twain.  I think that we have both discovered, finally, our whys...we both came to the realization that we are ready to take the next step and finally succeed in LA."

To give you some background, my Comadre was utterly distressed and I had to remind her of all the things we have gone through in the last year and a half.  Basically, I gave her the whole everything-happens-for-a-reason spiel.  Then I gave her the idea to set up this blog (which she did, THANK YOU COMADRE!) so we could have a concrete account of our plan and journey.  Most importantly, it would give us another form to communicate despite the 2K+ miles between us.

She already posted three post and this is only my first one.  Ay, Dios mio!  But, it's all good.  

You may wonder why LA?  Well, why not?  #LA2014!

-Mariela

marielaochoa.com
@TheMarielaO