20 Years Ago

As I sit in this car somewhere between my old life and my new life I ponder how this trip to Colorado is going to feel. See I already don’t use the word home. It’s not home to me anymore but California isn’t either. I feel like I am still in a transitional world. (Like the undead for you Zombie fans) I wonder how long this feeling will last? Or once you move away from where you were raised do you always feel torn between two places?

This thought process is just a distraction from me thinking about why I am really going to Colorado. It’s slightly bigger than my brain can wrap itself around. My 20 Year High School reunion is this weekend! What? 20 years you ask? That’s nonsense I tell you! I remember when my parents had theirs and I thought they were so ancient. Ha! Now it’s my turn.

So as I sit here I try to think of all the things I still remember about High School and here is what I have come up with so far:

I remember our senior year district Volleyball game where we became known as the “come back kids”, or “the John Elway’s of Volleyball.” I remember those hideous spank/bloomer things they made us wear. It was like we were all running around in our underwear tucked into our shirts. Fashion Runways of Paris you don’t know what you were missing.

As we drive through these Colorado mountains it takes me back to many of Friday night spent by the river. A few trucks would bring old wood pallets for bonfires, wine coolers, beer, jack, and loud music. I can almost smell the campfire smell on my clothes as I write this. (It wasn't all appropriate)  :)

I also remember doing 20-minute runs every day before volleyball practice with one of my friends. I would try not to collapse somewhere along the way and she would eat chips as we ran.

I remember being so skinny that clothes always looked and fit me in an awkward way. It was not a good skinny.

I remember ditching and going to Grey’s café to eat breakfast with my friends. I remember ditching a lot actually. To tell the truth it’s pretty amazing I got any education at all. Well, and if you are too critical of my writing you will notice I am no prize winning writer.

I remember boys, boys, boys! Being so boy crazy you can hardly follow your studies.

Mostly I remember my friends. I remember teaching each other how to drive. I remember our plots against the boys who broke our hearts. I remember sticking by each other when another girl wanted to knock one of us down physically or mentally, and I remember thinking these bonds would last forever.

Fast-forward 20 years from then and here I am. It’s a lot to think about as I sneak a glance in the review mirror with my three-year-old sound asleep. Someday it will be her turn. Before I blink she will be in high school with the boy who will be her first love, with an obsession for clothes/make-up, and it will be my daughters friends that will be her armor against the world.

(This picture may have been 20 years ago but it some ways it feels like just yesterday.)