Last night I booked a flight to Cleveland.

I guess when you're thinking about booking flights to anywhere in the country, Cleveland is probably significantly low on the list. EXCEPT when your best friend lives there. Therefore, I have graciously accepted Cleveland into my heart. There's good food there, you know. And the house from "A Christmas Story" is in the city. I have photographic evidence of such.

Plus Sara. She's there, which is really all that matters. And even though it literally defies all laws of physics and science and math and humanity, I even save a small space in my heart for Ohio State because it's her alma mater, and that's how I do. Admitting this out loud as a Badgers fan living in Madison, Wis. is practically a felony. And now it's on the internet. Shit just got real in this friendship.

So anyway. Cleveland. I am going to there in October. Last time I visited Sara I ran the Cleveland Marathon, and she stood out in the cold, pouring rain with a baby to spectate for 4+ hours because that's the kind of friend she is.

The last time I saw Sara was in September of 2011 when I ran the North Face 50 Miler. I have some friends that didn't even wish me good luck that day (no, of course I'm not still bitter 1 year, 10 months and 5 days later), but Sara, at five months pregnant, flew to Wisconsin and spent (not only the whole weekend sleeping on a couch, but) an entire day traipsing around Kettle Moraine to be there for me and hug me at the finish line because that's the kind of friend she is.

So I'm returning the favor when I visit her in October. A couple months ago she made the decision to train for and run her very first half marathon, and I'm so, so all of the happy for her. Every week she makes more and more progress, and I can see how proud she is of herself. My heart explodes.

For all of these reasons, I booked my flight last night, and registered for the race, and will cross the finish line with her on October 6. I've had so many amazing race experiences, have shared so many of those moments with my friends, and can't wait to add this to that cherished list. I want Sara to know those feelings and experience those moments, and for every single selfish reason, can't wait to be the person she gets to experience all of them with. She's my person, and I love her.

I'm so excited for you, Sara. See you in 72 days.

Sara + Krista, North Face 50 Miler, Sept. 17, 2011

krittabug