.120 Carrie Wallace
The last time I saw Carrie was almost 5 years ago in Thailand, and thank goodness I saw her when I did. For context, Carrie and I went to college together and studied the same major. In a city that can feel suffocating and fake, Carrie pierced through that constantly with her refreshing honesty and real sense of self. She immediately instills a confidence in you when you meet her and she welcomes you in with her true curiosity and kind personality. Having classes with her was always a joy because her intelligence and perspective were always helpful and important to hear and experience.
Following a tricky situation during my solo travels post-college, I messaged Carrie who was stationed in Bangkok at the time, gearing up for her Fulbright experience. I simply needed to see someone I knew, so Carrie met me at my hostel, caring smile and all, to give me a hug and soon after, to introduce me to some of her Fulbright cohort. This innate compassion from Carrie was (and is) something I appreciate(d) so much. She was so gracious with her time and I ended up spending almost 1.5 months seeing her around Thailand in various different cities. This dedication to the people in her life, whether they are best friends or friends she hasn’t seen in years, is something I truly admire. And it’s the same kindness and dedication that she is currently giving toward her community in Colorado.
Carrie, thank you so very much for being such a lovely friend and for playing such an important and comforting role in my life when I really needed it most. I’ll never get over how kind it was for you to take the time and energy out of your life to help with mine. Thank you for always making me laugh and for just being so honest and open about the good and the bad in each day. It’s refreshing and appreciated. Thank you for being so determined to help the world around you and for believing deeply in the beautiful power of storytelling. Thank you, Carrie, for being exactly who you are.
-BD