Zahnpaste: 5/5: jenny-tan

two thursdays ago, i pretty much spent an entire day with one of my favorite people in the world: jenny-tan!

started off the day with worship and prayer. i wasn't really expecting to do that either, but i felt like spending time with God was the way that He wanted us to start off our day together. because our friendship isn't one of this world, but its something that was started by Him and something that was nurtured by Him. its because of Him that we're friends, and it only seemed fitting to start our day together with Him.

jenny-tan with ch-ch-lee-ch-kim

after our mini worship-prayer session (which felt so good! i kinda wish we had spent more time doing so...), we walked aimlessly around our neighborhood without an agenda or itinerary for what we were going to do. what could we possibly do in ann arbor for an entire day?

1. walked over to kerrytown. explored the boutiques and stores there.
2. ate lunch at kosmo, this korean fusion place.

kosmo's unique menu

my hamburger with kimchi, which was....nothing spectacular. just tasted like there was kimchi in my burger.

kosmo's "twigim." basically tempura vegetables

3. perused the marketplace where kosmo is located. wanted to buy something unique. ended up getting dark chocolate ginger...which was absolutely disgusting. should have gone for the goji berries like jenny suggested.

4. wandered around ann arbor some more (it was such a sunny, beautiful day!). finally walked into urban outfitters and browsed the store's bizarre and completely unnecessary items.

spent way too long at urban. by that time, it was around 5 pm, and i was on the lookout for some gifts for people. plus we were hoping to buy something matching for ourselves.

5. so we headed over to middle earth. we didn't end up finding anything matching, though i discovered the existence of "quotables" cards.

also saw this hilarious frame...definitely had a couple people in mind for that one haha

6. got bubble tea @ the infamous bubble island, a common hangout of ours when jenny and i were underclassmen.

7. went to meijer with jong. i forgot why i went with them...but i do remember donning baseball helmets with jenny, wandering around the store, and per jenny's random and most likely delirious inspiration, placing them on stuffed animals, which were then seated on toy strollers and left in the aisle for a disgruntled and hopefully flabbergasted employer to find.

honestly, we didn't do much. we didn't travel to a grandiose place; we didn't eat at a nice restaurant; we didn't purchase a handful of memorable souvenirs. we basically walked and talked. though the day was spent so uneventfully, thats what i appreciated about my time with her. jenny and i are way past formalities. i've known her 5 out of the 6 years i've lived in ann arbor, and she's become someone who is simply a part of ann arbor to me. she's one of the few people i can feel completely comfortable around (which has definitely led to a fair share of "stumbling" moments). she's someone i am assured will not judge me. she's someone who has always poured unconditional love upon me. i'm not just talking about love. i'm talking about unconditional love. i think unconditional love is something that is nearly impossible to grasp on an abstract level. and i think God used her to allow me to concretely experience a glimpse of His unconditional love for me.

no matter what, no matter how many times i've failed her or let her down, she stood by my side. she never once held grudges or held my mistakes against me. she had every right to, but she never did. over the years, she's been the encourager and affirmer when i felt like so many people around me were bringing me down or teasing me. she's been a constant support. i know she has my back. if anything were to happen, i knew without a doubt, that she'd be there. and even when i didn't share my struggles with her, i knew that she cared, and in those times, sometimes that was enough. i felt safe and secure with her because i knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she loved me.

we've been through so much. we've been through classes, undergrad, working life, church, trials, blessings -- we've been through it all together. and through it all, she has consistently been a source of love, care, and support.

i have a lot of memories concerning ann arbor. but jenny-tan -- she's one of the most formative of my recollections. and the extent and depth of our friendship assures me that she won't be just be a memory from ann arbor, but someone formative for the rest of my life.