After two long years of a pandemic, it was a relief to stand alongside a woman who has known me for over a decade. These past two years have been chock-full of changes and situations that have thrown us all for a loop.

Being that we share a love of food and wine, a visit to wine country in Nova Scotia together seemed fitting. We packed our sweaters, music and all the topics we had not yet talked about and set off for a two-day adventure.

Walking along the rows of vines of one vineyard, I couldn’t help thinking about how deep friendships, despite weather and circumstances, are much like the grapes grown for wine. They take in the life, events and atmosphere of the world around them.

Over the years, I have learned and understood that grapes are highly affected by weather, nature, and the specific location they are grown. The wine made from the grapes is often characterized by the place the grapes are grown and how they are treated.

So too are these friendships that have been given beautiful and redemptive space to breathe.

Friendships can display a unique character and quality from the atmospheres they have grown into and out of. And as wine gets better with age, so too, in my opinion, does dear friends.

Although we only visited two vineyards, we got our fill of the beauty and tastes of our province, conversation and time to exist beside each other.

And despite the fact that currently, ours is a friendship of long distance, the idea that we will continue to reflect the character of our environments, experiences, passions of ourselves while also becoming something better, bolder, and of more fullness is something that gives me deep appreciation, excitement and thrill for what has yet to come.