When I think of Journey Dreyer, the first thing that comes to my mind is loyalty. I have had the pleasure of living with this girl for two years now, and through the good, the bad and the ugly, she has been right by my side, without fault. In only 20 years, Journey has practically traveled the world, and done a good bit of that traveling entirely on her own. The summer after her senior year, she took off on a cross country road trip in her trusty Prius, and followed this up with a two month adventure in Spain and other parts of Europe. So, I guess you could say her name is pretty fitting. These experiences are a huge part of her identity and have made her the woman she is today. When I asked Journey her favorite thing about herself, she almost immediately said her independence, and her ability to do things on her own. Journey is what many people would call an old soul. She figures problems out without ever asking for help, can navigate an entire foreign city after looking at a map once, and loves a good classical music jam session. She is uniquely and fiercely independent, and her own strength is part of what makes her such a loyal friend. You can always count on her, because you know that she will always have the situation under control. She recognizes this too, and told me that she takes pride in her ability to be such a good friend.
When I asked Journey what she wished more people knew about her, her answer was not nearly as immediate. After a long pause, she told me about her relationship with pride. For Journey, it is sometimes a struggle to embrace the pride she should feel following an accomplishment, such as finishing a paper, starring in a musical or receiving high honors academically. She told me that although it often takes some time, when she does feel comfortable with acknowledging her accomplishments, she holds onto it for a long time. Oh, and she also mentioned that she wishes more people knew how big of a reader she is. Seriously, on planes, trains and automobiles, you will find her with a book, and trust me, I have witnessed this first hand.
Journey's face absolutely lit up when I asked her to tell me about the nicest thing anyone has ever done for her, and the story made me smile just as big too. She attended a boarding school, and during her four years, her best friend Heather consistently crashed in her room for a mid day nap. Throughout her time at Asheville School, Heather had secretly been writing sweet little notes and hiding them throughout her room after every nap she took. The notes would turn up in the most random of places, and always made Journey's day a little bit sweeter. Stories like this show just how big of an impact small actions can have on someone, and I find that inspiring.
Journey also told me about the nicest thing she has ever done, and wow, this story warmed my heart too. A couple years ago on her Dad's birthday, Journey went above and beyond to make the day special. When her Dad woke up, he was greeted with a homemade menu made on parchment paper that he got to browse and pick from for his birthday dinner, made entirely by Journey. Once he made his big decision, she spent the entire day driving around town picking up ingredients and preparing the perfect birthday dinner, entirely on her own. The goat cheese salad, pecan chicken and spanakopita was not only delicious, but made with so much love, and was a gift I'm sure her Dad will cherish for a lifetime.
To Journey, happiness comes from giving time, effort and energy. If you are lucky enough to get to know this girl, you will know that she practices and preaches this form of happiness everyday. Knowing Journey means you will never be left without an adventure buddy, a person to point you in the right direction, or a delicious pecan chicken dinner.
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