A few thoughts thirty years after High School Graduation

I spent last weekend in Baltimore to attend my 30th High School Reunion events.Actually had a terrific weekend -- things look so much different with thirty years of perspective and experience. I must say though, that I'm glad I didn't look at my yearbook before I went. I did look at it after I got home and it made me remember all the things I didn't like about high school and how tough Senior year was with college pressure and because ALL my best friends had boy friends and I didn't. It also reminded me how intense (and possibly boring) I was in High School. I was voted "Miss G.P.A" and "Most Pessimistic" and my favorite saying was "I'll never make it!". Plus all of that intenseness didn't really get me anywhere. I didn't get into Yale or Princeton which was my ultimate goal. Ended up hating Swarthmore and transferring to Lafayette. I'm so glad I've lightened up since then. Unfortunately it looks like Emma's inherited a lot of my genetic code. Of course Jim isn't exactly a laid back person either.

I made it a long weekend and took the train down as part of the vacation. It was great to zone out in the quiet car and finish my latest book Smilla's Sense of Snow. I arrived in time for a glass of wine and an hour of chit chat with my sister and brother-in-law. Then it was off to Mom's where I stayed.

The whirlwind began on Friday with a trip out to Columbia to visit Jim's cousin Holly and meet her twin boys who are 8 months old. Mom and Kate came with me -- Kate loves to talk to other Mom's of twins. We had a great visit and I really enjoyed catching up with her.

Her cute guys

The fun continued with lunch at a new deli place in Cross Keys. I lived at Cross Keys for a year after college and worked in a store there during college -- so another old haunt. I had a great cob salad -- as good as Billy's here in Barrington. Next it was off to my niece and nephews school, Roland Park Elementary Middle School, to help out with Mia's Gym class. It was bicycle safety week so we helped a whole class of Kindergartners put on bike helmets and ride around an obstacle course. They were all so cute -- makes me remember when Emma was that age.

Next up was swimming lessons with the twins -- it was so warm on Friday that I borrowed as swim suit from my sister and we both went swimming in the outdoor pool! Then we rushed home to get ready for a Cocktail Party at our school, The Bryn Mawr School for Girls. All alumnae were welcome so my sister came too. Here we are ready to head over. My sister lives across the street from school which is very convenient.

After the Cocktail party some of us headed out to a bar for more talking etc.... My sister said it was one of the over 40s pick-up joints. It was loud and all the guys looked old there -- so glad I am not dating! Hope I never have to.

Saturday Bazaar and Gym Drill and Bryn Mawr. Kate and I headed over to shop at the vendors while Mia and Nick were at soccer with Daddy. It was nice to hang out together without kids. Then in the afternoon we marched with all my classmates of Class of 1982 in the beginning of the Gym Drill. It's the tradition for all the reunion classes to start of the Gym Drill by marching down the field. If you haven't experienced a Bryn Mawr Gym Drill then it's hard to describe. It's sort of a cross between country dances and a Hitler Youth rally. The classes spread out over the field and do group exercises in unison. Then each class starting with sixth grade does a different dance. Sixth Grade did an Asian Fan dance and Ninth grade always does a traditional Sword dance (with sticks instead of swords)

The big event was our class party on Saturday night. I was so exhausted from Friday and Saturday's talking and visiting that I didn't think I'd have enough energy to enjoy the party, but I managed to perk up and had a really good time. We had a Cinqo de Mayo party at a classmates house. We had 53 of us graduate in our class and 30 of us came back to reunion which is great. The husbands mostly hung out around the pool while we "girls" caught up. I must say that everyone looked great and we most certainly do not look our age! I ended up back at my good friend Liz's house with our two other good friends from High School and we sat on the porch and talked until past two in the morning! 


Sunday a last lunch out at Donna's in Cross Keys with Mom, Kate and her family and then another mostly relaxing train ride back to Providence. It was great to catch-up and reminisce, but none of us want to go back to High School -- we're really liking the view from up here in our late forties!