Perfect Moments

My heart beats for perfect moments. By perfect, I do not mean conforming to a rigid ideal, but perfect in a way that only a magical convergence of circumstances could produce. In fact, some of my most perfect moments were disasters by all accounts, except my own.

There was the time I was driving in a banged up ’78 Land Cruiser through the bush of Uganda, en route to a food distribution site, red dust cloud rising up on the dirt road behind us. All at once, with an anti-climactic thud, the axel of the vehicle fell out beneath my feet resting on the floorboard. My friends and I were stranded in the middle of absolutely nowhere. In Africa.

Within ten minutes, children began to emerge from dense shrubs on either side of the road, with wonder on their faces.  This was the first time they had ever met, what they affectionately called, a Mazungoo. Literally translation: white man walking in circles. Read: crazy white people.

As we stretched out our hands to greet them, palms touching and pulling away, the children, one after another, looked at their hands to see if the color of our skin had rubbed off on their fingers. It was as though they thought we had been painted and our color would come off on them. It was magical and unexpected and pure.

Meanwhile, our guide, an American named Alfred, stood on a three-foot tall ant hill trying to get cell phone reception. I cannot explain the absurdity of seeing a 6’3 snow haired man stand on top of an ant hill talking on his cell phone in the middle of the African bush, like it was totally normal. What next? A AAA tow truck coming over the horizon?

I just stood there, in the road in front of our broken down truck, dust on my shoes, drinking it all in – the serendipity and the other-worldliness of it all. I love these moments, the ones you don’t plan for but they ones that show up unannounced, bearing adventure, humor, or encounter of one kind or another. It seems that the things you don’t plan for almost always turn out to be the best.

On Friday night, some of my best friends, Bryan and Suzanne, came out to the house where I was house sitting, along with their friends Shaka and Stephanie. We made the best vodka tonics (see below) I’ve ever had, followed by some fabulous burgers and even better conversation. All spent on the most amazing screened-in porch you could ever imagine.

The porch occupies the space that once housed the breezeway between the original kitchen and main part of the home, built in 1821. The candlelight danced off the intricate woodwork of the porch. The grounds beyond, wrapped by an old stone wall, were cast with shadows from the full moon above. Ancient trees hung low and stood tall, all at the same time, making giant shadow puppets on the lawn beneath. It was nothing short of enchanting.

Shaka and Stephanie went home and Bryan and Suzanne decided to stay the night with me. Suzanne slept in the next morning, while Bryan and I were up early, as we often are. The two of us jumped in the car, me in my pajamas, Bryan riding shotgun, and headed to Starbucks, laughing and talking as we drove through the country, mist still blanketing the pastures we passed along the way. 

Bryan woke Suzanne when we got back and we all chatted on the porch for a while, fresh coffee in hand. Bryan decided that there was no better time to play a long round of Guitar Hero then while staying at a Confederate mansion, so off he went for the rest of the morning, leaving the girls on the porch to chat.

Suzanne and I sat outside, talking about the future and about how lucky we were to have “found our people” in each other. It is such a gift to have friends who you can laugh and cry and dream with. All this in the same morning followed by a matinee of Sex and the City while Bryan went to REI. On the way back, the three of us laughed as we remembered great moments from the weekend, realizing that there was no better way that we could think of spending it than with each other. A perfect moment.

What makes a perfect moment for you? What have your favorites been?

No Ordinary Vodka Tonic

Ice

½ shot of Santa Cruz Lime Juice (available in the natural juice section of most grocery stores.)

2 shots vodka (or to your desired strength)

½-1 tsp Agave Nectar (optional, but suggested)

Tonic Water to taste

Two lime wedges, squeezed