Rachel and Andrea have only been in my world less than a year, but already feel like they’ve been there all along, and I can’t image my life without them in it. Both of them are mermaids at Dive Bar in Sacramento, Ca., and are pretty tight as friends can be; demonstrated by this odd ball conversation at last month’s Woodland Highland Games. Here’s what they have to say on each other…

     “Andrea and I have a very unique friendship, though one could probably say that all friendships are unique… Andrea is one of those friends who knows me intuitively enough to understand what I’m really saying, or sometimes just communicating to her by glares. Hence, knowing I wanted a Mac and Cheese Pie when I was being a smart-ass. We have a give-and-take understanding of how to rib each other, but usually not go too far; and I’m grateful that when we do, we are able to talk things out and let it go fairly quickly. I’ve laughed a lot with Andrea, leaned on her when it’s been hard, and always rest peacefully knowing she’s close….as in….laying awake, under my bed.”

~ Rachel Smith

“I used to think that if you were friends with someone, you had to make it oddball. We all go through high school declaring our “best friends” and putting them on a pedestal like their existence is enough to merit the prestige of “best”. And then we grow up. People change, pedestals crumble. We become REAL ADULTS. We met people and find out through trial and error who leaves enough of an impact on us to stay in our lives.

I met Rachel through a friend and didn’t ever think we’d be as close as we are now. She already seemed so far above me, and her life was a flurry of mermaids, and pirates. Here we are years later and I find out more and more we’re exactly the same type of crazy. We teach each other how to be better people. We have honest conversations and real fights. But I know we’ll always make up after, and that confidence in someone is what, I think, makes them the “best” type of friend. We found each other and our souls said “This is my people”. There are so many times we can communicate with just a look, or finish the other’s sentence. We are each other’s appointed Thelma and Louise.”

~ Andrea Hinojosa

Friendship.