Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.

About two years ago all of my closest friends started moving on with their lives. We all lived in Wellington together and had spent four years in each others' pockets. It was the time where I experimented, adventured, and figured out more about what I wanted.

In hindsight, it really was idyllic. There were issues and irritations, but now I appreciate the ease with which we all congregated and spent so much time together. It seems much more difficult these days.

Then we all up and left. There were plans to fulfil and ambitions to meet, so we left a city that we loved, but had begun to feel too small. Perhaps we spurred each other on; if they were leaving, well, then we had to leave too. For somewhere different, but equally exciting. It was a friend diaspora which scattered us across hemispheres.

We have survived - made new friends and found new places where we feel at home. But I suspect that the friends I found when I was on the cusp of joining the real world are the ones who have the strongest hold, and will be around for the longest.

Next week, a large chunk of us will meet again at a wedding in a forest. We're driving there together from Wellington and will spend the weekend celebrating, camping, "clambering, river damming and swimming". I can't wait.


Photographs of the Rimutaka forest from doc and from panoramio.com