Life of Wiley: Ballad Of The [Girl] In The Red Shoes

Ten years is a long time. If a wine is ten years old, it's usually considered to be great wine. If a kid is ten years old, they'll never be single digits ever again. If a friendship is ten years and going strong, there's a good chance you've got a friend for life. Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing my good friend Rebekah of Eden A La Mode graduate from college. We've been friends since the sixth grade, which is about half of our natural lives at this point in time. We went from little girls talking about Lord of the Rings to twenty somethings talking about dreams of living in Montreal, life, love, shoes and things-as-geeky-as-but-not-so-much-Lord-of-the-Rings.

As it happens, her parents are on vacation in the Bahamas right now. When she asked me if I would like to go in one of their places, I was immediately on board. After negotiating for the car we drove out of town and headed for the future. (Mmm, cheesy.) I've never been to a real graduation before Tuesday. I didn't go to my high school one, so it was cool to experience it first hand... You know...before mine...which is tomorrow.

I was proud to be a witness to this once in a lifetime event, the day my best friend left her college days behind her and got to wear an itchy blue robe to celebrate it. I was also very much like a parent, beaming from ear to ear when she accepted her diploma and graduated WITH honours. Then I went back to being a frantic best friend and cheered and screamed like it was my full time job.

We call it the graduate face.

Even though it was Bek's big day and moment, we also managed to snap a few outfit pictures while we were waiting for post-convocation dinner plans to take shape. She was kind enough to take hold charge of the position of photographer, and snapped some good shots despite the fact that I'm awkward and suffer from behin hyper aware when I'm in front of the camera. (Thanks bebe!)