Meet Neela:
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Last week she and her family made their first trip up to Eagle Falls.  And boy am I glad they did. We became fast friends, partly because Neela reminded me of myself in so many ways. Partly because we both have good taste.  Right, Neela?

I don’t want anyone to assume I am just making outlandish claims about this, so you better believe I did my research.  I spent the first day or so admiring and studying her from afar before I went ahead and made it official.  There were several clues:

  1. She had pink Converse shoes, which is awesome. I just have black, but I’ve been wanting a bright color for a while.
  2. She has an aversion to mayonnaise and isn’t afraid to share it and/or tell others how gross it is.
  3. She is extremely unsure about American cheese. She would much prefer a nice double cream Brie. I hear ya, Neela.
  4. She is an avid reader.  Harry Potter all the way!
  5. She loves American Ninja Warrior.  It just so happens I want to BE an American Ninja Warrior.
  6. She loves the Food Network.  Not like she just watched it once. We had a full on conversation about which shows we like and why and who our favorite chefs are. We both really like Chopped (duh).
  7. She likes to fish!  She wants to learn all about it.  She watched the guys clean the fish.  She watched us fry the fish. She studied the various methods of catching, hooking, netting, and releasing the fish. She might be hooked.
  8. She is a writer.  I am also trying to be a writer.  She indicated that she would purchase my first book.
  9. She has a dog named after a TV character. And a book character. Cosmo and I can appreciate this.
  10. She is a DISTANCE RUNNER!  Hello?!?! Can this be real?  She runs the mile and 5k for the track team at her school.  (File this under “Reasons Colorado is Awesome”)

Yep, she is definitely my mini-me.  We had so much fun talking, playing games, being in the kitchen, learning about each other, and laughing at all our crazy similarities. I miss her already!  But, lucky for me we are going to be pen pals. Eek! IMG_4421
Neela, thank you.
Thank you for bringing your curiosity and adventurous spirit to Eagle Falls Lodge. I love how much interest you have in science and reading and running and how incredibly well spoken you are at sharing what you think and know. I wish I was that confident and cool at your age. You are quite possibly the brightest 9 year old I’ve ever met and I can’t wait to find out what awesome things you learn about and try next!

3 Comments

  1. I would want to be your mini me too! Your are an amazing woman is so many talents and such a beautiful heart

  2. LOVE this and can’t wait to show it to her! We had such an amazing time, and are already discussing plans for next year 🙂

  3. Love this! Neela, you’re a rockstar!

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