when the excitement reaches a new level because you're working on dope collaborations with your girl @kalei_lagunero and other women you just admire! Can't wait to share! And more to come in 2016 #fashion #music #youtube #jasminejordan #kaleilagunero #womenpower #workhardplayhard #keeppushing #SMILE
A/N: We’re back! Jasmine asked if we could collaborate on another story for tumblr and I thought that was a brilliant idea because I haven’t really been writing lately with life happening so it’s nice to get back into it with my best friend. It features the not so unfortunate looking Theo James and Kit Harrington (who I am obsessed with currently…any Game of Thrones fans?) You’ll get the gist of the story with this first chapter which will then follow with a chapter from my talented partner in crime. And PS Jas, I was thinking my chapter would be from my POV and then your chapter is from your POV and blah, blah, blah so no one gets confused hopefully? Okay? Okay. So, without further adieu, here we go. xoxo
Attention all passengers, last call for flight 206 to Italy.
My head snapped left and right as the last call was made for our flight. She did this everytime. She’d always go darting off looking for her daily dose of Starbucks and come back just a second before the doors would shut. She was my best friend and I loved her but sweet baby Jesus I hated being late. And I hated waiting in front of our gate as she ordered her venti passion tea lemonade (lightly sweetened please). I bit my lip, an odd habit my mother hates, and fidgeted with the necklace I got when we were living in New York.
That’s what we did, Jasmine and I. We were writers for our very own travel blog and had been running across the globe ever since we graduated from college a year and a half early a few years ago. It was her idea really. We had always loved writing, having met that way, and it just made sense. Traveling and writing. A perfect pair. Just like we were. So we’d pick a place, say goodbye to friends we had made, and settled into our new home. Every location was different and so was the length of time we stayed. Sometimes it was hard, it was like being nomads, but the things we’ve seen and the people we’ve met always made up for it.
If she’d only get here so we didn’t miss our plane!
“Excuse me miss?”
I turned towards a petite stewardess, an apologetic look on her face that matched the way the last stewardess looked at me.
“I know you’re waiting for your friend but I can’t hold the gate open any longer. I’m sorry.”
I nodded, a tight lipped smile plastering my face.
“I understand, I guess I’ll just – “
We both turned when a voice shouted out a few feet away. I turned back to the stewardess and sighed.
“Never mind. Here she is it seems.”
She nodded and started walking towards the gate and I turned to find Jasmine, panting as she stopped in front of me, no Starbucks in sight.
“Whew! I guess I’m not in the greatest shape. You’d never guess with this banging body huh M?”
I stared at her for second and threw my hands up in the air, walking the other way. She didn’t say anything, just smirked and adjusted her bag as she followed me. She knew I hated being late but she also knew staying mad at her lasted all of five minutes before she’d make me laugh.
When we finally found our seats, I sat and stared out the window, people moving down below before the plane would take off.
“You know you love me. And I was totally going to be on time but there was a cute guy! And come on M, you can’t expect me to not say hello to a cute guy.”
I turned towards her.
“A cute guy you’ll probably never see again?”
She smiled.
“At least I would’ve made an everlasting impression.”
I snorted and she poked at my ribcage.
“There she is ladies and gents. Miss Snorts Galore.”
I gaped at her, playfully elbowing her back.
“You’re late next time, I’m leaving your ass at the gate. Don’t think I won’t. Cute guy or a freaking elephant. I’m getting on the plane.”
She wiggled her eyebrows.
“Even if it was Gavin DeGraw?”
My eyes narrowed immediately. We had been in Vegas for a few days visiting my family and one of my other best friends luckily scored tickets to see Gavin DeGraw and Matt Nathanson in concert at the Mandalay Bay Beach. Needless to say, both meeting him and the show were the highlights of my life and I was currently obsessed. I listened to nothing else all day.
“That’s mean. Cold and mean and unforgiving. If you meet him without me I’d pass out.”
She let out a snort of her own as she settled into her seat.
“You’ve already met him!”
I shrugged.
“So? Like you wouldn’t want to meet Adam Levine over and over again.”
She was silent and I knew I had won.
“Touché my friend. I bow to you.”
Before I could say anything else, the captain came on overhead and I decided to look back out the window as Jasmine rummaged around in her bag for the latest book she was reading. I barely paid attention to the flight stewardess’ demonstration, already having memorized it, and then decided to completely tune her out, instead thinking about the first blog entry we’d post once we landed. We were planning on staying in Italy for a full six months, two months longer than what we were used to. Jasmine’s reason was that it was Italy and four months to be swooned by an Italian boy wasn’t nearly enough time. Plus, there were so many variations of pasta and wine to indulge in.
I didn’t dare argue.
Instead, I informed our readers where our next adventure was going to be and started packing. The few days in Vegas were always a must, I missed my family, and we always made sure to stop in South Carolina so Jasmine could go home too. We never stayed long at home but we always made sure we went. There was nothing like the feeling of home, even after living in the most beautiful places. And home cooked meals never got old.
Once we were up in the air and I was sure Jasmine was completely engrossed in her book, my headphones came out of my bag on into my ears. I pressed play and immediately, Gavin DeGraw’s ‘Where You Are’ started.
Arguably one of my favorites.
I closed my eyes and found a comfortable spot as the plane flew through the air towards Italy. I worried, as I always did, about what we’d find there. We were staying at a villa in the countryside, a beautiful place generously offered to us by a quite wealthy follower of our blog. She was going to be in Madrid for the six months were there and said she’d feel much better if there was someone taking advantage of the villa. And though traveling the world was better than anything I could dream up on my own, Jasmine was always better equipped at fitting right in. With her bubbly personality and wit, coupled along with a daring sense of humor and kindness, people took to her before they realized they even had.
I was a wallflower.
I liked quiet nights, a glass of wine, and maybe a walk through the city. Jasmine was always in the center of the fun and even though she too liked the quiet nights every once in awhile, she took advantage of wherever we were and never failed to find people to be around. I joined of course. I never could stay cooped up for long. But my best friend was just always more vibrant than I was. Wherever we went, she left her mark.
I was always afraid I’d never want to leave.
Ever since the first city we had lived in, there was that underlying fear that somewhere along our adventure, I’d decide to stay where I was and make a life there while Jasmine flew to the next awaiting city. What would happen then? To our blog? To our friendship? To the life of travel we fully committed ourselves to? Where would we go from there? I could never even bear to think about it. So I pushed back into the depths of my crowded mind and focused on what was happening instead of what could happen. It wasn’t always the best thing but it got me through. And I always told myself to just live. Because that’s the best I could do.
The rest of our flight was uneventful. There was reading and gasping on Jasmine’s end, her new obsession with the main character slowly deepening with each turn of the page, while I continued listening to my music, getting lost in each song that played. There was a quick break for some plane food before I started watching Game of Thrones on my iPad and Jasmine had moved onto her Maroon 5 playlist. I’d poke her, hard, everytime Jon Snow came on, and then she’d jab me back, eyes narrowed as Adam Levine crooned in her ear.
It was nothing new for us.
It was routine really.
So by the time Italy was below us, we had made it through one and a half seasons of Game of Thrones, a couple of playlists, and a few rounds of Would You Rather: Hot Guy Edition. As I stared at the view below, Jasmine’s excited chatter next to me, I knew exactly what I’d name our first entry.
