revving up

I'm driving up to DC tomorrow for my 15th high school reunion.  Does time ever fly?  It's weird mental space to remember who I was and my dreams and expectations, and to be 15 years from then.  I don't how much my 17 year-old self would have liked my 32 year-old self.  My life is in no way what I thought it would be.  Heck, I thought I'd have an awesome career and be married with at least one kid.  Instead I have bizarre, useless degrees, have lived in two foreign countries, and am far more uncertain than I ever was in high school.  I'll meditate on things that remained constant.  Running, reading and writing come to mind.  As does friendship and bizarre adventures and goals.

I'm really looking forward to seeing these women that really shaped who I am as girls.  I haven't seen my fellow cross country co-captain for 14 years; I remember sitting in the passenger seat after our post-run 7/11 trips listening to "Freshman" and feeling how relevant it was.  I want to meet the girls' husbands and hold their babies. I'm looking forward to seeing the campus too-- I want to hike to Black Pond like I did when I was a student.  I also want to meet the older women and be encouraged and invigorated by their lives.  The alumnae are my favorite part of the school.  I want to savor the views of the Potomac and remember all the good things I experienced at the school.  Maybe I'll even run the cross country course and feed a carrot to the horses.  The ladies at work warmed my heart since they'll be down a person.  One of them told me, "If nothing else, it will be good to get away."

And, it will.  I'm going to DC for the weekend and spending time with dear friends.  I am blessed.  I was laughing at the fact that our class secretary is missing the reunion because she's in Italy... and the fact that I've never been.  But, then talking with the ladies with whom I work helped me to realize how extravagant and luxurious it is simply to escape routine routine for the weekend.  There'll be a dress up dinner, zip lines, a professional blue grass bands; it's pretty groovy albeit not Italy.  I had the excuse to buy some eye make up and get highlights that were well overdue.