Cheers

Cheers may have been a little before our time, but I still understand the gist of it, so I'm assuming you will too.

"You wanna be where everybody knows your name."

I just returned from Wyoming where I spent the weekend attending my high school reunion.

I tried to have low expectations... surprisingly, I had a really good time. Yes, it was awkward, and I was nervous for good cause. But, I'm almost saddened that it won't happen again for another decade.

Even though I don't want to be friends with most of those people anymore, it is still comforting and refreshing to know that there is "a place where everybody knows [my] name." Sometimes I get lost in wanting anonymity, but at the same time, I find myself longing for that automatic recognition that was so frequent for me growing up. In a way its more relaxing to not work so hard at being the 'real me' around these people who share a common history and common experiences with me. Afterall, they've seen me in all my glory -- valedictorian speech -- and at my absolute worst -- middle-school (which was everyone's worst years, right?)

It was also nice to reconnect with some people who I DO still want to be friends with. I've been texting and emailing a handful of people since I returned and we've vowed not to wait another 10 years to learn about each others' lives.

Weekend highlights:

• catching up w/ two of my former high school best friends who now have good husbands, 2 and 3 kids respectively, live in our hometown, but still have wonderful lives.
  
• seeing friends that I've happily reconnected with online in the last few months (one who lives 10 miles away and others from the east coast)
  
• going to dinner with some really good friends who live on opposite sides of the country (Idaho and TX). It was nice talking beforehand, so we didn't have to shout about our recent on-goings in a crowded, dark, and smoke-filled saloon (although we did that too.

My hometown is small and I grew up with the same core group of people, pretty much since kindergarten.

I still know what is going on with most of my kindergarten class -- and I sometimes wonder about the rest. It was nice reminiscing with stories as old as 1986 in first grade (Nicholle's mom helping us make bookmarks) 1990 fifth grade (Mrs. Ward throwing erasers when she was mad), and of course, 1997 high school (Ms. B's Senior Humanities and those jerks during our Dante's Inferno presentation).

This is in sharp contrast to a friend from California who I chatted with yesterday, she asked "Well, did you know anyone?" I guess I take for granted that "Yes, not only did I know someone, I knew practically everyone."

Still -- the weekend was topped off by hanging out with these girls above -- my BFFs (Sisters). We don't get to spend nearly enough time together. I find it SO RARE (yet I'm so lucky) to actually be best friends with people from elementary and middle school. We lost touch during most of our college years, but, I knew our friendships were meant to be when we began to reconnect (mostly over the last five years.)

I wouldn't give up these relationships for anything. I know that we'll still be close when we're 74 and our grandkids are playing together on family vacations. Plus, their husbands are wonderful too; it was fun getting to know their partners and seeing first-hand how much they each compliment/contrast one another. I didn't feel too weird being the 5th Wheel (see pic below, I was the photographer), but I for sure felt the pressure to find Mr. Right.

[Kristi and Josh, Rob and Britt]

*btw: that's my beer, although it looks like Rob is holding it

[McD, Amanda, Rachel, me]

photo by Toddplease email me if you have more pics!