A Dear Friend Indeed

A Singapore bucket list thing for me was spending a night at the Marina Bay Sands. Well, it wasn't so much about the hotel as it was the POOL. I've been to the top several times for the chocolate bar & drinks, but you have to be a hotel guest in order to swim in the infinity pool. Their pool is on many "Top 10" amazing pool lists, so I was very excited to try it out myself. I went with Jill and we had a great time together.

There's so much to say about Jill.

Jill is from Texas, has lived in Dubai (among other places) and most recently, Seattle. She laughs with her whole heart and has such a positive outlook on life. She worries with the best of them, but it's because she loves so fiercely. Like me, she tells stories with her whole body and gets more animated the deeper into the story she gets. She's down to earth and a wonderful mother. She sends me texts of snake sightings even though she knows they send me over the edge. Her purse is big enough to fit a toddler and she brought 7 (yes, 7) jean jackets to Singapore with her. 

And...she is truly one of the kindest people I have ever met. 

When Jill and I get together, NO ONE can get a word in. We start our conversations at a normal pace, then quickly speed up as if we may never see each other again. We talk fast and furious, with very little breathing. Saying goodbye is a 10 minute process because we still have so much to say. 

Along with Jill comes a pretty great guy and little girl. Alex (her husband) and Ella (her daughter) have become Singapore family to us. While Alex works way more than we'd like, we love and value our time with them. Ella is like a sister to our boys and she is convinced she'll marry Luke someday. They have our blessing. Our helpers also happen to be pretty good friends, so it's an all-around match for our two families. 

I have no doubt our paths will cross again. But when I imagine daily life without Jill, it makes me sad. I will miss our brief phone calls at work just to laugh. I will miss having someone to chat poolside with. I'll miss watching our kids grow and play together. I'll miss our double dates and brunches. But mostly, I will miss that Texan accent and genuine laugh that I've come to rely on bringing a smile to my face.  

There are people that within minutes of meeting them, you know you'll be friends for life. That is Jill. 

The view from our hotel room was gorgeous! 

The famous infinity pool - not the best weather, but still beautiful

Not a bad view from the hot tub, opposite of the pool. 

Went for a run around the marina the next morning...got it all here. The Art/Science Museum, Marina Bay Sands and the Merlion. 

Jill and I agreed, we are glad we did this, but would never spend the money to do it again. We would have wished for more sun, but given that we got about 24 hours with no kids, we managed just fine. :)