Reunited

3. Secret Trip to LA

In the next few weeks I began thinking about a plan. I was thinking about somehow surprising Colby and showing up in LA, but I wanted someone to be in on the plan helping me out.

I thought about asking Sam, but I knew he would be around Colby a lot in the next month because they were planning to move in together. I decided to ask Kat. She seemed to like me and would be up to plan a surprise.

I decided to message her on Instagram, since that was the only means I had of contacting her. I wrote out the message:

"Hey Kat, this is Colbys friend from Kansas, we talked a couple weeks ago 😊 So I have this crazy plan that I've been putting together to surprise Colby (im going to be moving to LA) but I need someone's help. Would you be down??"

I hit send and waited, I was pretty nervous. What if she was just playing nice and didn't actually like me? What if she didn't want to help? About an hour later I got a reply.

"Ohmygod that would be so awesome! I would love to help!! So he has no idea you're planning to move to LA? This is so exciting!"

We messaged back and forth a few times before we exchanged numbers, then we started texting. I told her it probably wouldn't happen until fall, but I was ready to move. My plan was to fly out there and stay for a few days while I found an apartment, then once I did id move out there within the next couple weeks. I hoped to be settled in by Halloween, because Kat said they had a big party planned for it.

I was so excited to get out of my comfort zone and do fun things all the time. I was so ready. Kat was so cool too. We ended up facetiming a couple times once I bought my plane tickets, she was so excited for me.

The best time to rent out an apartment in LA was in September, so my plan was to fly out there the first week and go apartment shopping. I wasn't going to surprise Colby then, I was going to do it when I was all moved in and it was official.

As the summer passed it seemed like Colby and I were getting closer again. He started to call me at least once a week, and each time it seemed like the bond between us got stronger.

I remember one night we had been talking for hours, and right before we said good night Colby said he missed me. It wasn't just a random "I miss you," it was more like when someone would say "I love you" before hanging up the phone.

I of course said I missed him too, and from then on that became our way of saying goodbye. It made me feel so good, just knowing he still did miss me. As the months got closer my excitement grew. Soon we wouldn't have to miss each other any more.

I remember the day before my flight Colby and I talked, and he could tell I was acting a little different. I played it off as if I had a photoshoot the next day that I was excited about. He believed it, and everything was normal that night.

Kat had offered for me to stay at her place while I apartment shopped to save money on a hotel, and I accepted. I appreciated it so much and told her she could have free photoshoots from me for life, and she accepted that.

She was also going to vlog my whole stay there, we planned to make a video of the whole plan. I had already vlogged some of the plan, and so had Kat. I knew she'd be waiting with a camera when I left the airport.

I remember landing in LA, my nerves had already been high the whole way there, but it was becoming real the minute I stepped off the plane. I was in the same state as Colby for the first time in almost 6 years, it felt unreal.

I went through baggage claim and I read a text from Kat who asked if I'd pick her up a Starbucks on the way out. The only thing I had brought with me was a small backpack and my camera bag so I had the hands to grab us each a coffee.