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Today is the birthday of my very best friend and my “wifey” Kate Rose! Today, I wanted to share with you, reader, a bit more about how Kate and I became friends. You’ve seen me tweeting and posting and sharing about Kate — and last night, on her Birthday Eve, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be fun to tell our story?”
So now here I am!
[Aside: If you’re new to The Huntswoman and reading this, HELLO FRIEND! I have a healthy disrespect, and some would argue DISTASTE, for grammar. Go cry to your mom about it. I write like I talk, so if you don’t like it, eff off!]
Happy Birthday, Kate!
As you may realize reading this, Kate is a VIRGOOOO, babyyy! We are such an iconique due (don’t MAKE ME write a note about astrology, honestly at this point you should just LEAVE), that of a Sagittarius and her Virgo bestie. Kate and I use the term “wifey,” to denote the level of commitment and staying power we have for each other Very similar to the (largely, imho) queer ethos of “romantic friendship,” we are IN THIS.
Fire and earth signs, friends!!
In this blog post celebration of Kate, I’m going to tell you our ~Origin Story~, as well as a listicle of my favorite things about Kate. Real talk, there’s no way for me to SMUSH all of my love and adoration for Kate into a 1,000 word blog post — and I almost just gave up on publishing this — but you know the FIPI rule! <3
Let’s get into it!
How Kate and I Met
Kate and I met our Freshman year at Stanford University, and WHEW what a ride that was. I remember passing her in the hallway and calling her “Love” (a life hack I use when I think someone is SUPER cool but I CANNOT remember their name).
I remember seeing Kate in the hallway with her blonde hair and sporty appearance and thinking, “What a nice, shy, and quiet girl!!”
LOL.
How my viewpoint would CHANGE!
During the same time, this scheming (perhaps “strategizing” is more kind) Virgo was already assembling her bestie squad. You see, Kate, at that point had decided that we would be best friends.
She chose me!!
(Which I am ENDLESSLY grateful for, and I also this is super funny. Most people think *I* plotted this, and it simple isn’t true! I was swept away.)
But, how did we go from friends to BEST FRIENDS?
Well, it has to do with Halloween and screwdrivers.
No, not THOSE kind of screwdrivers.
Think OJ, babe.
How Kate and I Became BEST FRIENDS FOREVER // Yay the Beginning of Our Journey!!
The morning AFTER Halloween, November 1st, is what I consider to be our ~Relationship Anniversary~. Kate, dressed up as an angel, and Carol (her roommate who is also a bestie), was dressed as a devil. They sat with me in the bathroom getting me water, while I proceeded to puke my guts out.
In my life, I had always been the friend taking care of *other* people, and something about that morning really cemented for me that *I* could rely on Kate.
Fast forward 13 years, and we were celebrating Kate’s graduation from her PhD program at Harvard.
What a ride!
10+ Things I Love about Kate (In No Particular Order)
In celebration of Dr. Rose, here are a few of my fave things about her!
- If Kate says something she will do it. She is the most stalwart and conscientious person I know. Getting abducted by aliens couldn’t stop her – if she gives her word, she gives it.
- Kate is a beautiful public speaker. That theatre training and love of Shakespeare really shows through. (Aside: Kate Rose wrote me a SONNET once for my birthday. Wild!)
- Kate is so mf funny. Her sarcasm, dry wit, etc, is so on point. She is hilarious. I love it. She does these dry one liners that make me laugh for LITERAL YEARS. I keep trying to bully her into a podcast, that is how FUNNY SHE IS.
- Kate has made me a better person, simply by being around her. In woo woo circles, we call this “raising my frequency.” Kate raises my frequency, inspiring me and moving me to take decisive action that propels me and my dreams forward.
- Kate is an incredible and thoughtful researcher. She is able to engage in so many different levels with her work as an archaeologist, and really lives her politics of inclusion and collaboration. She looks at research and analysis utilizing a variety of frameworks, and she actively interrogates white s<prem@cy and colonialism in her work. She has an unmatched academic rigor.
- As a Captain on the Virgo Committee, Kate loves to plan. She loves to plan for the plan. She loves to schedule *for* the plan. When she is in her planning element, it is something to see.
- Kate can bend and be flexible. No, I don’t mean in an athletic sense (although she is athletic as fuck). I mean that while she loves to plan and be prepared, she is not rigid when it comes to reacting to changes AFTER her preparation. Some folks prepare and then lose their respective minds when things don’t go well. Kate can form the wind and the current, and she can bend to it as well.
- I love Kate’s love of ritual. Especially her beauty and self-care routine.
- Kate has a love of learning and exploring, and I love that about her. From trying new restaurants she found on TikTok, to beauty routines to reading actual TOMES — Kate is an explorer.
- Kate values her family and invests in her family. She loves everyone so dearly, and I love being in the space she has co-created with them..
- Kate has strong opinions and will argue with another person fiercely, and I love that she doesn’t hesitate to go toe-to-toe with anyone. I love talking with her about politics, history, culture, etc, because it’s like jousting. BUT, at the same time, Kate is willing to change her opinion with new information. She receives that new information with thought and care.
- I love Kate’s competitive spirit. Kate is a winner, and she doesn’t hand things over. It’s really fun to hear her tell stories of different athletic activities she does (not with obvi lollll).
Kate is an amazing friend and an incredible wifey. She is one of the reasons I’m still alive (real talk), and I don’t know who I would be without her. I’m crying right now typing this.
Kate, I love you so much, you ever present and lurking online force in my world! :*
Xoxo,
Wifey
Kate and My Adventures (That Have Made It to The Blog)
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