The Traveling Billabong Jacket of Friendship

In the semester I took off to save up before going to college, I was to do nothing but work, learn Italian, and “master” yoga. I did yoga maybe twice a month, saved up just enough for a plane ticket, and memorized funny Italian pickup lines. I also spent about 70% of my free time shopping with my best friend Ana.

We felt the best time to shop for cutesy candles at Earthbound was an hour before having to spend the next four slinging chicken. (Note: New studies show that shopping before work increases mindless conversations about said shopping and occasional tardiness. I highly recommend it.) So we set off on what was the first of many malling adventures. 

Right as we were rushing out the doors, I saw the striped jacket hanging so coolly from a mannequin in the window of a surfer-y shop. It was the perfect piece to transition me into fall, so I sprinted into the store and snatched the first one I saw off of the wood table. If I had known that it would take the sole retail worker ten minutes just to wrap it up I might have walked away and made it to work on time. But one never knows when they may be asked to a late night bonfire at the beach, so I patiently waited for the over-priced jacket to be neatly folded, wrapped, and gently placed into a bag while exchanging apologetic looks with Ana. Finally, we were able to leave and so starts the magical story of the traveling Billabong jacket. 

The jacket was left in a friend’s car before leaving. It was shortly returned to me, then left in Rome. I was heartbroken. To my surprise, it returned to me a few months ago by a wonderful friend in Italy who retrieved my dusty suitcases from a mysterious place where the Roman sun definitely does not shine. I thought this is like the traveling jeans, except it totally wasn't. No matter, the beach-chic jacket gives me warm feelings of friendship whenever I wear it, which is all of the time.