HAPPY 17TH BIRTHDAY STEFFI!!!!Okay so you’ve told me before that I’m a decent writer so this time I’m actually going put that to good use and actually say something nice for once. After all, it’s still a weekday luckily for you.

There’s so much that I could say right now, but it’s probably best to start at the beginning. It all started early on a chilly Saturday morning, on the 23rd November 2013. I remember pulling up to the Kyneton golf club with my hands shaking and millions of butterflies in my stomach, ready to play in my first-ever junior tournament. Soon enough, it was time for me to tee off. Because I had the lower handicap of Tarsha and I, I had to play number one. I remember Jo introducing us, so we exchanged VERY quiet ‘hellos’, before moving back to our buggies. It was probably the only word we said to each other that whole day. I don’t remember much of what you did on the first hole, but the memories of what I did are still unfortunately very clear in my mind. I smoked my drive down the middle, then progressed to shank my next shot 90 degrees to the right of me. After chipping out and getting myself back into position, the hozzle of the club once again struck my ball perfectly, and back into the trees I went. I think I was on the green for about 5 shots and still putted out without conceding, even though you were about two feet from the whole after 4 or so.Anyway, all I remember after that is not speaking to you at all, getting angry and losing it at several stages during the round, and literally losing the match on the 17th hole, 2/1. And that was the first of many losses to come.

Then it came to January of the following year. I got an email from Golf Victoria saying that they’d watched me at the tournament in Kyneton, and I had been chosen for some representative team that I had no clue about. Next thing I knew, I had arrived in Horsham at a motel with way too many foreign faces, and I got so nervous. All these girls came out and I had no idea who any of them were, then I saw you and was so happy I had actually met someone there before, even though I’d barely spoken to you! I was so relieved when I found out that we were in a room together because we were in exactly the same boat during that trip, which made it so much easier. I remember that very first night when Jade snuck out and left us together at about 9pm, and we didn’t go to sleep until midnight. I’m pretty sure we were watching a men’s tennis match from the Australian open as well. But anyway, for people that had barely ever spoken, JESUS COULD WE TALK! Annndd that’s for me when we became ‘acquaintances’.

So, then I got your number at Murray Downs last year, then this is how our first conversation went: (click it and read)http://prezi.com/aogsmyvl9os3/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy I know, early stages. (29,630 messages ago…)

It’s crazy to think that it hasn’t even been a year since those messages happened, and look at how we are now. If someone told me when I first met you that within two years we’d be talking EVERYDAY from the time we wake up until the time we go to sleep, I’d actually probably laugh in their face. Not just because you seemed very quiet, but also because I couldn’t imagine myself doing that with anyone ever. The same thing with snapchat – I never used that stupid app at all (let alone send ugly photos) but now that’s

a daily occurrence with you. Seriously Steffi, who would have thought? You’re my best friend mate and I don’t care if I’m not yours but too bad, you’re going to have to live with it.

Frankly, I’ve never met someone so similar to me in literally every way (besides the fact that you don’t like cricket), and although it pains me to say it, but you’re easily the nicest person I know. And I could label a few more things, like you’re pretty much positive 100% of the time, especially at golf (which I wish I could do), you never complain (Canberra was the biggest example, Jo’s letter speaks for itself), and the most important thing is that you actually put up with me almost 24/7, especially on the weekends (which is the thing that I most admire you for HAHAHAHAHAH).

But I digress, HAPPY 17th BIRTHDAY YOU OLDIE! Hope you have an amazing day because seriously no one deserves it more. I can guarantee I’ll be saying that until you’re 100 years old and we’re chasing around those young whippersnappers on the golf course in our own cart.

P.S. Um we joke about sending essays to each other, but this is the real deal (848 words)

Night