Friend a Day – Jessica Cargill

I’ve gotten to know Jess through my annual trips to Austin for Butt-Numb-a-Thon.  For all that I enjoy the 24 hour film orgy that takes place every December, it is every bit as important to me that I get to hang out with friends I rarely see.

Jess and her husband open up their home to a bunch of out of town people each December and it makes that long weekend one of the best weekends every year.

Jess has just left her long term job and is currently looking to figure out what she wants to do and I can definitely relate to her situation.  She seems to be enjoying that process of finding the perfect direction for her life and I think it is great that she is fortunate enough to make that exploration.

When the masses descend on her house, she is nothing but gracious.  I’ve never felt anything but welcome.  Even when conversation has stretched well past 3 in the morning, as it frequently does.

What always strikes me about her is how willing she is to give of herself to others.  If you need a ride from the airport or to wherever everyone is eating dinner, she’ll help you out.

Hell, for a long time if you wanted to talk to her husband on the phone, you had to call her.

Her husband has a powerful personality but I’ve never seen her eclipsed by him. She has as much to say as him.  On some topics, she has a great deal more.  Conversations with her are lively and opinionated, and very interesting.

Almost everything she says online is positive.  She enjoys being with other people and will go out of her way to tell them how much she enjoyed spending time with them.  She doesn’t say it because she is being polite.  She says it because it is true.

For these and many other reasons, Jess is one of those people who brightens up any day that includes her presence.

Jess doesn’t have a blog but she’s a photographer and you can look at some of her work here.