California, here I come!

Only a few short days until my next race. I'm heading to California this weekend for the Women Run LA race in Los Angeles. I'm super excited for this race, as it will reconnect me with my dear friend Hazel, who you may remember I visited when I ran in Texas. 
Well, when Haze and I met up in Texas, we talked about the fact that her family (parents and siblings) all mostly live in and around the Los Angeles area and that it would be fun if I ended up running in that part of the state. Well, a few months ago, I found the listing for this new half marathon there, and after a couple of texts back and forth, Hazel and I are running together, and her family will be there to not only cheer us on but also generously host us! I am overwhelmed (in the most wonderful way) that her large, fabulous family is coming together for this event. I absolutely cannot wait to see all of her family (I haven't seen them since we were in high school, I think) and to hear all about their lives now. We have lots of catching up to do!
Hazel's family and mine lived in Windsor Locks, CT for our early years. She and I were the best of friends in early elementary school, and I fondly remember so many zany, fun times at her family's house. She comes from a family of 6 children, so spending time at her house was much more exciting than at my house. Not only was it a blast having all those kids around to hang out with, but on most occasions, the kids had friends over, too, so it was a neighborhood crowd all playing and being silly. Over the years, both of our families relocated (hers eventually to Texas) so we didn't get to see each other as much. And in a pre-internet world, we wrote letters or called, but then life got busier and we lost touch. Once technology caught us up, it was fantastic, and getting to see her a few years ago in Texas was like a dream come true. I can hardly believe I get to see her and her whole family this weekend. I am so grateful to all of them for making time in their busy lives to connect with me on this trip. And I simply can't wait to see them all and hug them and spend quality time together. 
California, here I come!
Not to go without notice, Connecticut is set for a pretty big snowstorm this weekend, so hopefully I can fly out without incident, and I'd say that the timing for a warm weather run is just perfect. Looking forward to savoring every moment of state #43.