I can't believe I had my 10-year high school reunion

Wow...can it be that my 10-year high school reunion has come and gone? I think that's worse than just the sheer fact that I am old enough to have a 10-year reunion. This now means that I am staring down my 20-year reunion.

Well, maybe not "staring down," per se...but that's what's next.

I come from a small town that gets pumped for Homecoming each year. There is only one high school in the entire county, so everyone went there, goes there, has kids that go there, whatever. The whole town gets really into Spirit Week and the Homecoming festivities, which is when they host the returning classes each year. This year, my class - 2003 - and 1993, 1983, etc., were the "old people" to the senior class of 2013.

Homecoming this year was no exception. Or at least, it wasn't supposed to be an exception...

You see, there was this Hurricane...Sandy? Heard of her? Before she messed up NYC and the Jersey Shore, she was busy cancelling my high school's Homecoming plans in Florida. Biach.

The parade and enormous bonfire and pep rally that are usually held on Thursday night? Cancelled due to wind and rain. (Who knew wind and fire don't mix?)

The football game on Friday night - where the Homecoming Queen is crowned and the returning classes' Homecoming Queens are honored on the field, not to mention the returning classes get to actually have a "home-coming" on campus and feel nostalgic? Postponed until next weekend. Which does me no good as I live 2 states away.

Yeah, I took two days off of work to travel to Florida on Thursday for absolutely no reason. Other than I got to meet my best friend's precious baby, Avery! (More on that later!)

Have I mentioned that I was Class President and therefore had been planning our Reunion for the last few months? When things started getting cancelled and postponed, the rumor mill got going. Everyone assumed our actual reunion on Saturday night was postponed, too. Why people don't understand that you can't just postpone a private party is beyond me. Hello, people - there were things like, oh I don't know, nonrefundable deposits that had been made! By me personally, no less. Come on now. I told everyone that come hell or high water (literally), we were having a  party on Saturday night.

On Friday night, when we were supposed to be at the game that had been hurricane'd-out, my core group of high school girlfriends and I went to dinner and then drinks. I hadn't seen some of them in years. Honestly, after about 15 minutes, it was like no time at all had passed. We fell right back into the same chatter and ways that we had 10 years ago. And it was great for Alex to finally meet everyone, too.

Alex and I about to head to the party!

I guess  my "NO! The Party is NOT cancelled!" posts on Facebook worked, because at the Reunion on Saturday night, we had well over 100 people, and I was expecting about 70. I was stressing a little because me and my friend Rachel were the ones who had fronted all the expenses. We need at least 60 people to cover our costs. So with 100+ people, we ended up making money. Ohhh yeahhhh. But before you think I am a horrible person for profiting off my high school classmates, let me tell you what we are really doing with the surplus. We are going to donate some of it to the local Humane Society, and the rest will go into an account to help pay for our 20th reunion (which seems uncomfortably close right now).

Party food, mementos from our Senior Year, and the amazing cake my friend Megan made!

Anyway...the night was SO MUCH FUN. It was weird to see everyone 9.5 years later. I have to admit that I had not seen most of the attendees in several years - many I had not seen since graduation day. It was funny because everyone was so different but exactly the same, know what I mean? Like how some of the guys were telling dirty jokes in one breath but talking about their kids the next. Or the girls that were reminiscing over young love and then talking about their big-girl jobs. It was amusing (but predictable) that the old clicks still hung out together. The same pretty girls were still pretty; the same country boys were still country. To me, there were no huge surprises like you see in the movies. No "nerd-turned-hot-millionaire." No "pretty-and-popular-girl-turned-washed-up-loser." It was sort of comforting to see that everyone was basically still the same person they were at 18, just a little more grown-up (well, in some cases). 
Sorry for the lack of interesting pics. We had a photographer there, so I didn't take a ton myself. And the ones on my phone aren't really...suitable...for the blog! ;)

In a lot of ways, the weekend made me long for the time in my life that was mostly carefree, full of new experiences, was comfortable, and was filled with the expectations of the future. I really had a wonderful time in high school. But honestly? I wouldn't go back. It's fun to see everyone and reminisce for a weekend, but I can't imagine going back to high school now, knowing what I know, having had the experiences that I've had. Those 4 years were truly awesome, but they're part of my past.

No matter what, I always believe that the best is still yet to be.