A reunion, kids, a job, birthdays, and a wedding = crazy fun

So, a couple of updates for folks. 

This has been a month of things changing for me.  My old college friends have changed in many ways and in other ways, are just the same.  My kids are growing up on me while I’m far away from them.  Some are making money as they follow their dreams of becoming musicians.  Others are pursuing math, theatre, dance, psychology, cosmotology school, motherhood, fatherhood…the list goes on and on.  I got my first sunburn in fourteen years (man are they itchy…how do people put up with these things on a regular basis?)  One of my closest friends has gotten married to his girlfriend of five years, another has chosen her wedding date, and yet another has told me that she thinks she truly in love.  I’ve gotten information on my new job, new emails and accounts that go with it, and am waiting on the contract that will ensure I get paid.

BC girls.

My college reunion was awesome.  It was all four years of college minus the classes squashed into sixty hours.  I saw friends and professors I haven’t seen for years.  The best thing about it was that all barriers were gone.  In college, I don’t think that there was ever anyone that I absolutely hated or was angry enough at to avoid them except for my freshman boyfriend (who had mental health issues).  However, I can’t say that people always got along with me.  I am, if nothing else, a unique individual (as my parents’ birthday card to me stated) and sometimes I’m hard for people to understand.  This being said, people who were angry at me for choosing to hang out with one friend or another, people who had ditched me because I stood up for someone they didn’t like, or people who simply didn’t understand what went on with me in college all forgot about the old issues and were just happy.  It was brilliant! 

Me and my mentor

They put us in the dorm they want to knock down and had our class party in the not-so-temporary “temporary housing” from the ’70s called “The Mods”.  It was probably wise.  Around campus you saw people from other reunions had their kids with them or were dressed to the nines for dinner.  At Edmonds, it was straight up chaos and revelry at all hours.  Together, we compared college pizza shops, ate Mike’s Pastries cannolis, played flipcup, had parties that covered entire floors but somehow did not qualify as a “large party” according to BCPD, and ate pancakes made for us by res life and delivered by the campus police.  You haven’t lived until a cop is personally delivering chocolate chip pancakes to you at 2am.  We went to BBQs, ate sandwiches from Flatbreads, and walked around a campus that is changing rapidly.

More BC girls

A place that I once considered home, is no longer the same as when I left it.  The people I left when I graduated from undergrad, then graduate school, then moved to Fall River, and finally when I moved to California are no longer the same people as they were last I saw them.  I am no longer the same person that they remember.  And yet, there’s a familiarity between us that means that the love we have for each other has simply grown and changed, not disappeared.  It made some people re-evaluate their lives, made me realize how quickly change happens, and made us all feel just a bit older.

Karaoke at Applebee’s after we sang “We are Family”

After the reunion, I went down to Fall River.  I saw a bunch of my kids, karaoked, and stayed with one of my dear friends.  Lidina and her family were gracious enough to let me stay with them during my time in Fall River.  They made me feel completely included in their family.  I met the little ones.  I hung out with Lidina’s mother, talked with her little brother (who graduated this year from high school), and spent time getting to know her brother and sister-in-law.  Lidina and I went out with her friends, stayed up late talking, and squeezed in every possible moment of hang out time.  She’s a doll and really lights a room up with her big heart and her big smile.  Poor thing even drove me and my kids around at all hours when she worked in the morning, insisting that I need to see my kids more than she needed sleep.  We went to Applebee’s two nights in a row.  We sang, I met some of one of my son’s (not by blood, but he–and many others–are a part of my family of choice) professors/advisors.  I was so very proud of all the work that my kids are putting in and all they are accomplishing in their lives.  I’ve missed them every single day since I left Fall River and they know that.  They made a point to spend time with me if they possibly could find a way and talked/texted me if they couldn’t see me in person.  I adore them for that and many other things.  Honestly, I can’t wait until I have enough money saved up to see them again.  My heart belongs to my kids in all honesty and I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried a bit when we dropped them off the last night. 

After Fall River and Boston I came back to California for five days.  My brother turned 29 and I turned 28.  My mother claims that this makes her feel old and that in a year (when Chris turns 30) she’ll have to re-evaluate her life.   I jammed in as much time with my family as I could at that point.  My youngest sister is home from college and learning how to drive.  (In our family house rules say it’s not possible to get your permit until you’re at least 18 years old).  She’s doing a good job with it and she’ll be taking her test next month.

The BC people wedding photo

The day after my birthday I went to Vegas for Jon and Steph’s wedding.  I met Jon freshman year of college and he’s my brother (family of choice again).  We’ve been through so much together it’s really amazing that it’s only been nine years since we first became friends.  I met Steph junior year super briefly and she roomed with my college roomie/graduate school roomie our senior year.  Some of the people at the wedding I’ve known for years and others became people I feel like I should have known for years.  Somehow, in the 5 days we were there from bachelor/bachelorette party to a couple of days after the wedding we all came together.  The only thing that marred the trip at all was an incident with a skeevie taxi driver.  The rest of the time was just sheer joy and fun.  The girls mostly stayed in the 4 Seasons and the guys stayed mostly at Mandalay Bay.  The place was amazing, the ceremony was beautiful, and the reception/after party were a blast.  I was sad to leave on Monday (and not just because a falcon died investigating the plane engine).  In my short time there, I managed to be part of a bachelorette party, go clubbing, see the Celine Dion concert, see amazing animals like komodo dragons, play $100 worth of slots for $20, attend a wedding, attend a reception, attend an after party, see my friends off to their honeymoon, and make a bunch of new friends from all over.  Granted, I was so exhausted when I got home that I slept straight through to the next day and I still think I’m in recovery mode but it was a great time all around.

This weekend, I’ve got the Greek Festival.  I’m running the Baklava Sundae booth.  June is a CRAZY month.  I’ll let you know how that goes soon.